HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2783        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2805

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Ruth B. Balser

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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 to advance beneficial electrification of space heating.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2783        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2805

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

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An Act to advance beneficial electrification of space heating.

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.  (a) There shall be a beneficial electrification commission to study the economic, energy, and environmental benefits of market transformation to accelerate beneficial electrification of space heating in the commonwealth in the decade from 2020 to 2030. For the purposes of this commission, beneficial electrification of space heating shall include but not be limited to: space heating using air source heat pumps alone and in conjunction with other heating sources, ground source heat pumps, and electric resistance thermal storage heating.

(b) The commission shall be comprised of leaders, experts, and other stakeholders whose expertise includes policy and planning, energy, climate, green building, development, mechanical engineering, beneficial electrification, and rate design.

(c) The commission shall consist of the following members: the Commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources, or a designee, who shall serve as chair; the head of the Electric Power Division of the Department of Public Utilities, or a designee;  the Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, or a designee; the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Assistant Secretary of Climate Change, or a designee; and the Governor shall appoint: two members representing Mass Save electric efficiency program administrators, a representative from the Municipal Electric Utilities, a representative of the Heat Pump industry, a representative of the Energy Storage industry, a representative of the environmental community, a technology and electrification expert from the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership, a technology and electrification expert from the Regulatory Assistance Project, and an affordable housing developer. The Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs may appoint additional non-voting members.

The study shall include, but not be limited to, recommendations for policies to: (A) leverage Mass Save as a way to deliver beneficial electrification to energy users in the commonwealth; (B) reduce the up-front costs associated with the installation of beneficial electrification technology options; (C) identify strategies to promote all electric new construction; and (D) identify strategies for removing barriers to beneficial electrification in existing building stock in the commonwealth.

A full report of the commission’s findings and recommendations shall be presented to the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council by December 31, 2021 with the intention of informing development of the 2022-2024 Three Year Energy Efficiency Investment Plan. The full report of the commission’s findings and recommendations, including any draft legislation, shall be filed with the clerks of the House of Representatives and Senate by December 31, 2021.