SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1372        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1876

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Marc R. Pacheco

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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 relative to enhancing RPS standards.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1372        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1876

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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

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An Act relative to enhancing RPS standards.

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 11F of chapter 25A, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the subsection (a) and inserting in place thereof the following:-

Section 11F. (a) The department shall establish a renewable energy portfolio standard for all retail electricity suppliers selling electricity to end-use customers in the commonwealth. By December 31, 1999, the department shall determine the actual percentage of kilowatt-hours sales to end-use customers in the commonwealth which is derived from existing renewable energy generating sources. Every retail supplier shall provide a minimum percentage of kilowatt-hours sales to end-use customers in the commonwealth from new renewable energy generating sources, according to the following schedule: (1) an additional 1 per cent of sales by December 31, 2003 , or 1 calendar year from the final day of the first month in which the average cost of any renewable technology is found to be within 10 per cent of the overall average spot-market price per kilowatt-hour for electricity in the commonwealth, whichever is sooner; (2) an additional one-half of 1 per cent of sales each year thereafter until December 31, 2009; (3) an additional 1 per cent of sales every year until December 31, 2017; and (4) an additional 2 per cent of sales each year thereafter.

Beginning in 2018, municipal electric departments and municipal light boards shall provide a minimum percentage of kilowatt-hours sales to customers in their territory that is derived from renewable energy generating sources, provided however, that any renewable energy generated by a qualifying RPS Class I resource owned or leased by the municipal electric department or municipal light board and sold to customers outside the department’s or board’s service territory shall not count toward the minimum percentage of renewable energy kilowatt-hour sales required under this section.

The minimum percentage of kilowatt-hours sales shall be provided according to the following schedule: (1) one-half of one per cent of sales by December 31, 2018; (2) an additional one-half of 1 per cent of sales each year thereafter until December 31, 2025; (3) an additional 1 per cent of sales every year until December 31, 2029; and (4) an additional 2 per cent of sales by December 31, 2030 and each year thereafter.  For the purpose of this subsection, a new renewable energy generating source is one that begins commercial operation after December 31, 1997, or that represents an increase in generating capacity after December 31, 1997, at an existing facility. Commencing on January 1, 2009, such minimum percentage requirement shall be known as the “Class I” renewable energy generating source requirement.