HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 742        FILED ON: 1/14/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2865

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Stephen L. DiNatale

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act promoting storm resistant utility infrastructure upgrades.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Stephen L. DiNatale

3rd Worcester

1/14/2015

Dennis A. Rosa

4th Worcester

1/16/2015

James Arciero

2nd Middlesex

2/1/2015

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

2/1/2015

Jennifer E. Benson

37th Middlesex

1/22/2015

Marcos A. Devers

16th Essex

2/3/2015

John V. Fernandes

10th Worcester

2/4/2015

Sheila C. Harrington

1st Middlesex

1/16/2015

Leonard Mirra

2nd Essex

1/28/2015

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

1/23/2015

Jonathan D. Zlotnik

2nd Worcester

1/21/2015


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 742        FILED ON: 1/14/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2865

By Mr. DiNatale of Fitchburg, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2865) of Stephen L. DiNatale and others for legislation to promote storm resistant utility infrastructure upgrades.  Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2929 OF 2013-2014.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

_______________

 

An Act promoting storm resistant utility infrastructure upgrades.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 85B of Chapter 164 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Addition,  is hereby amended by adding, after paragraph (8) in subsection (a), the following new paragraph:-

(9) identification of necessary upgrades to transmission and distribution infrastructure to ensure reliable service to customers, including, but not limited to, the replacement of damaged wires, transformers, conduits, or substations with storm-resistant, modernized technologies and other upgrades to prevent service disruption during emergencies.

SECTION 2. Said Section 85B of Chapter 164 of the General Laws is hereby further amended by adding after subsection (i) the following new subsection:-

(j) Each investor-owned electric distribution, transmission or natural gas distribution company, when implementing an emergency response plan, shall replace damaged or destroyed distribution or transmission infrastructure with upgraded, storm-resistant or other modernized infrastructure to prevent future service disruptions, as determined in advance by the department. The department shall consider and approve of such necessary upgrades annually in each emergency response plan.