SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2000        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1915

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

James B. Eldridge

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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 zero-emission vehicles.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2000        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1915

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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

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An Act promoting zero-emission vehicles.

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. The commissioner of the department of energy resources is hereby authorized and directed to apportion proceeds from the RGGI Auction Trust Fund as provided for in section 35II of chapter 10 of the general laws to establish a grant program providing rebates to consumers to defray the expense of the purchase or lease of a zero-emissions vehicle, which shall take effect upon the exhaustion of funds currently allocated to the Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles program, referred to hereafter as the MOR-EV program. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to determine qualifying criteria for zero-emission vehicles, to set rebate values, and to provide for the administration of the program in a timely fashion that ensures no incentive gap between the MOR-EV program and the rebate program authorized herein. Rebate values shall be set no lower than MOR-EV program rebate values. The commissioner shall review the rules and regulations of the program on a biannual basis. If the commissioner deems it appropriate to make any changes to the program, the commissioner shall prepare a report to be submitted to the house and senate ways and means committee and the joint committee on transportation detailing and providing a rationale for the changes made.

SECTION 2. The commissioner of the department of energy resources is hereby authorized and directed to apportion proceeds from the RGGI Auction Trust Fund as provided for in section 35II of chapter 10 of the general laws to establish a grant program providing rebates to consumers, private institutions, and municipalities and other public entities to defray the expense of purchasing and installing an electric vehicle charging station or stations. Not later than one year after the effective date of this act, the commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to determine qualifying criteria for private institutions and public entities, electric vehicle charging stations, to set rebate values, and to provide for the administration of the program. Rebate values shall be set no lower than $2500 dollars or 50 percent of the cost of purchasing and installing an electric vehicle charging station, whichever is lesser. Private institutions, municipalities and other public entities shall only be eligible for rebates under this program upon the exhaustion of funds currently allocated to the Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program. The commissioner shall review the rules and regulations of the program on a biannual basis. If the commissioner deems it appropriate to make any changes to the program, he or she shall prepare a report to be submitted to the house and senate ways and means committee and the joint committee on transportation detailing and providing a rationale for the changes made.

SECTION 3. Not later than six months after the effective date of this act, the department of energy resources shall publish a guide to assist cities and towns to develop programs that allow residents unable to install off-street electric vehicle charging stations to install curbside electric vehicle charging stations proximate to their residences.

SECTION 4. Not later than six months after the effective date of this act, distribution companies, as defined in section 1 of chapter 164 of the general laws, shall submit to the department of public utilities for approval proposals to offer an opt-in electric vehicle time of use rate, defined for the purposes of this section as a rate designed to reflect the cost of providing electricity to a consumer charging an electric vehicle at an electric vehicle charging station at different times of the day, but shall not include demand charges. For department approval, such proposals shall encourage energy conservation, optimal and efficient use of a distribution company’s facilities and resources, and equitable rates for electric consumers.

SECTION 5. Not later than six months after the effective date of this act, the department of energy resources shall file a study with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and with the joint committee on telecommunications, utilities, and energy, evaluating the costs and benefits of electric vehicle adoption, including, but not limited to, its impacts on the electric distribution system and distribution company customer rates.

SECTION 6.  Not later than six months after the effective date of this act, the department of energy resources and department of transportation shall file a report with the joint committee on transportation, identifying state routes, U.S. routes, and interstate highways in Massachusetts that are high priority for public electric vehicle charging station installation. Determinations of priority shall be based on total traffic volume on the route, volume of trips on the route that exceed 50 miles, importance of the route for accessing employment centers, tourist attractions, and other frequent destinations, and other factors as detailed in the report.