(i)WHEREAS, energy storage is a rapidly maturing technology that can provide energy, environmental, and cost-reduction benefits to the Commonwealth;

(ii)WHEREAS, the need for energy storage will increase with the adoption of intermittent renewable energy resources;

(iii)WHEREAS, capturing the benefits of energy storage depends on long-term market certainty;

(iv)WHEREAS, demonstrated leadership from the Department of Energy Resources in setting energy storage targets for 2020 must be supplemented with additional policies beyond 2020;

Therefore:

(a)On or before December 31, 2018, the department of energy resources shall set a statewide deployment target of 1,766 MW of cost effective energy storage to be achieved by January 1, 2025.

(b)On or before December 31, 2020, the department of energy resources shall set a subsequent statewide energy storage deployment target to be achieved by January 1, 2030. 

(c)Energy storage targets established in sections (a) and (b) shall include minimum and maximum limits on the quantity of energy storage that can be owned by load serving entities.

(d)As part of the determinations in sections (a) and (b), the department may consider a variety of policies to encourage the cost-effective deployment of energy storage systems, including the refinement of existing procurement methods to properly value energy storage systems, the use of alternative compliance payments to develop pilot programs, the use of energy storage to replace baseload generation and the use of energy efficiency funds under section 19 of chapter 25 of the General Laws if the department determines that customer-owned energy storage provides sustainable peak load reductions on either the electric or gas distribution systems and is otherwise consistent with section 11G of chapter 25A of the General Laws.

(e)The department shall reevaluate the procurement targets not less than once every 3 years.

(f)Not later than January 1, 2025, each load serving entity shall submit a report to the department of energy resources demonstrating that it has complied with the energy storage system procurement targets and policies adopted by the department pursuant to section (a).

(g)Not later than January 1, 2030, each load serving entity shall submit a report to the department of energy resources demonstrating that it has complied with the energy storage system procurement targets and policies adopted by the department pursuant to section (b).

(h)The department may establish alternative compliance payments for load serving entities for failure to procure energy storage in sufficient quantities to meet the targets established in sections (a) and (b).