SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1772        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1886

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Bruce E. Tarr

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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 meeting the energy needs of the Commonwealth.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1772        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1886

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 meeting the energy needs of the Commonwealth.

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. Chapter 21A of the General Laws as appearing in the 2014 official edition is hereby amended by inserting after section 26 the following new section:-

Section 27. (a) Not later than June 1, 2017, and every three years thereafter the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs or their designee the Secretary of Transportation or their designee and the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection or their designee (“the Board”), with the participation of the Department of Energy Resources and the Department of Public Utilities, together with such other agencies as the Board may designate, and in consultation with such other secretariats as the Governor may determine, shall promulgate a comprehensive energy plan for the Commonwealth (“the Plan”).  In developing the Plan, the board shall also consult with ISO-NE and with the Commonwealth’s electric and gas utilities.

(b) The plan shall be consistent with the climate adaption plan established in this act and shall include but not be limited to the following goals and requirements:

(i) The plan should comply with all U.S. and Massachusetts laws and policies governing energy, including the requirements of the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act;

(ii) The plan shall prioritize meeting energy needs first through conservation and cost-effective energy efficiency and other cost-effective demand-reduction resources, and to the maximum extent feasible should be met with cost-effective renewable resources and cogeneration ;

(iii) The relationship of energy needs for electricity, transportation, and building heat, as well as the reduction of greenhouse gas and other air pollution emissions from the transportation and building heating sector, shall be considered; and

(iv)The plan should provide for reliable and accessible energy that is as cost-effective as is reasonably achievable

(c) The plan shall include and be based upon, reasonable projections of the state’s energy demands for electricity, thermal conditioning, transportation, and shall be designed to respond to those needs and timely and cost-effective ways which meet the targets for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions set forth in the Global Warming Solutions Act

(d) The plan shall consider the energy demands of states that border the commonwealth, and strategies to capture economics of scale and other benefits that may be derived from collaboration and/or regional initiatives

(e) Upon the adoption of the Plan, all certificates, licenses, permits, authorizations, grants, and other actions and activities by a state agency or authority shall be consistent, to the maximum extent feasible, with the Plan.

(f) There shall be a fifteen member  Energy Plan Advisory Committee to assist in the development of the Plan: 1 of whom shall be the secretary of energy and environmental affairs, who shall serve as chair; 1 of whom shall be the secretary of administration and finance; 1 of whom shall be appointed by speaker of the house of representatives; 1 of whom shall be appointed by the house minority leader; 1 of whom shall be appointed by the president of the senate; 1 of whom shall be appointed by the senate minority leader and 9 of whom shall be appointed by the governor: 1 of whom shall represent consumers, 1 of whom who shall represent low income residents, 1 of whom who shall represent large employers, 1 of whom who shall represent small employers, 1 of whom who shall represent the renewable energy industry,  1 of whom who shall be from an environmental organization, 1 of whom shall represent investor owned local distribution company, and 1 of whom shall represent a municipal owned local distribution company.  The Energy Plan Advisory Committee shall prepare a report to the Board to be delivered to it every three years, six months prior to the triennial June 1 promulgation date for the Plan.

After receiving the report of the Energy Plan Advisory Committee, the Board shall modify the Plan if appropriate, and shall provide for public notice and comment on the Plan, with no less than five hearings on the Plan across the Commonwealth.  After receiving public comments, the Board shall further modify the Plan if appropriate, shall issue a final Plan, and shall file the final Plan, together with proposed legislation necessary to implement the Plan, if any, with the clerks of the House of Representatives and Senate, and the joint committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy.