HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3754        FILED ON: 1/25/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Bruce J. Ayers, (BY REQUEST)

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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 transparency in electric bills.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3754        FILED ON: 1/25/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2883 OF 2015-2016.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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An Act promoting transparency in electric bills.

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to establish a framework for consumer electricity rate savings and to make certain other changes in law, necessary or appropriate to effectuate important public purposes, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
 

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. This Act shall be entitled the “The Electricity Bill Transparency Act,” and shall be construed in a manner to achieve its public purpose, which is to ensure that affordable electric service be available to all consumers on reasonable terms and conditions.

SECTION 2. Section 116A of Chapter 169 of the acts of 2008 is hereby amended bus striking t in its entirety, and replacing it with the following  new section:-

SECTION 116A. The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs shall annually report the estimated or actual ratepayer cost and benefits of each program and policy required under Chapter 169 of the Acts of 2008 to the joint committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy. Said report shall be submitted to the committee by January 31 of each year. Whenever possible, the reported costs shall be presented on a volumetric percentage of electricity supplied from renewable resources to each end user customer class.

SECTION 3. Chapter 169 of the acts of 2008 is hereby amended by inserting after section 116A the following new sections:-

SECTION 116B. All information reported by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs as required under Section 116A of this act shall be made available as a public record and posted to the department of department of energy resources website simultaneously with submittal to the joint committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy.

SECTION 116C. All actual ratepayer cost of each program and policy required under Chapter 169 of the Acts of 2008 shall be itemized on each end user’s electric utility bill.

SECTION 4. The department of public utilities is hereby authorized and directed to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act. The department of energy resources is hereby authorized and directed to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act.