Bill H.3846

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4234 FILED ON: 5/28/2019

HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3846

By Mr. Golden of Lowell, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Thomas A. Golden, Jr., for legislation to provide for a program of climate change resiliency for cities and towns in the Commonwealth. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

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 relative to GreenWorks.

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. To provide for a program of climate change resiliency for cities and towns in the commonwealth, the sums set forth in this act, for the several purposes and subject to the conditions specified in this act, are hereby made available, subject to the laws regulating the disbursement of public funds, which sums shall be in addition to any other amounts previously made available for these purposes; provided, however, that the amounts specified for a particular project may be adjusted to facilitate projects authorized in this act.

SECTION 2.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

2000-7076. For the GreenWorks infrastructure program established in section 28 of chapter 21A of the General Laws.............................$1,000,000,000

SECTION 2A.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

Department of Energy Resources

9300-8000. For the purpose of developing a matching grant program to support and provide technical assistance for cities and towns to develop and deploy municipal microgrid energy systems; provided that the department of energy resources, in consultation with the Massachusetts clean energy center, shall establish eligibility and selection criteria which shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (i) the microgrid shall be located in a city or town in the commonwealth; (ii) the microgrid shall be located on the property of at least two neighboring municipal buildings, and provide electricity to such buildings; (iii) the microgrid fulfills one of the following objectives: (a) mitigates peak energy demand periods, (b) reduces energy costs for at least one of the host municipal buildings of the microgrid, or (c) ensures such municipal buildings avoid electricity outages during power disruptions in the electric distribution system and provides local residents with access to electricity; (iv) the microgrid shall utilize clean energy, as defined in section 1 of chapter 23J, or electricity that is generated from renewable energy generating sources, as defined in subsection (b) of section 11 of chapter 25A of the General Laws, and is connected to on-site energy storage capacity; and (v) the municipality shall receive the majority of the benefits accrued from the municipal microgrid project; provided further that grant awards shall be capped at $4 million per project; and provided further, that applicants must provide a minimum of 50% project cost share.............................$100,000,000

9300-8001. For the purpose of developing and implementing grant programs designed to encourage the electrification of vehicle fleets owned by municipalities or regional transit authorities; provided that the department of energy resources may promulgate regulations necessary for the operation of the programs; provided further, that not less than $10 million shall be expended for planning, training and technical assistance purposes including, but not limited to, studies examining the feasibility of utilizing electric vehicles on existing public transportation routes, studies examining how public transportation routes could be modified to provide equivalent service while utilizing electric vehicles, studies evaluating the environmental and economic benefits of replacing existing vehicles with electric vehicles, and training or technical assistance necessary for the operation and maintenance of electric vehicles and related infrastructure; provided further, that not less than $25 million shall be expended for the purchase of electric vehicles, including, but not limited to, plug-in hybrid or battery electric light-duty vehicles, and the installation of related infrastructure by municipalities; provided further, that not less than $90 million shall be expended for the purchase of electric vehicles and the installation of related infrastructure including, but not limited to, battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric buses and battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric light-duty vehicles; and provider further, that any funds expended under this item for a vehicle itself shall not exceed the difference between the purchase price of the electric vehicle and the purchase price of an equivalent non-electric vehicle with regards to passenger capacity and intended use.............................$125,000,000

9300-8002. For the purposes of establishing a sustainability coordinator grant program to provide grants to municipalities to hire a sustainability coordinator to organize, secure funding, implement and monitor projects that have been awarded through Section 28 of Chapter 21A of the General Laws; provided, that a municipality or group of municipalities may apply for such grants and preference is given to municipalities without the equivalent of a sustainability coordinator ; provided further, that grant recipients execute a 5 year contract with a sustainability coordinator; provided further, that grants awarded under this program shall provide funding for not more than the first 2 years of such contract; and provided further, that grants awarded to a municipality or municipalities that contain an environmental justice community shall provide funding for not more than the first 3 years of such contract.............................$20,000,000

9300-8003. For the purpose of establishing a fund known as the Green Resiliency Fund within the executive office of energy and environmental affairs to provide loans to a municipality or groups of municipalities; eligibility and selection criteria may include, but shall not be limited to, the following: (a) financial assistance to a municipality or group of municipalities in meeting their obligations to provide matching funds pursuant to projects awarded through Section 28 of Chapter 21A, provided that financial need has been demonstrated; (b) resiliency improvements, including hardening of assets to prepare for extreme weather events; or (c) resiliency investments which result in economic revitalization; provided further, that rules and regulations shall be promulgated for the operation of the fund, which may include, but shall not be limited to, ensuring timely repayment by borrowers, and the use of interest rates to ensure that the fund maintains a consistent purchasing power from the time loans are disbursed to the time of their collection............................. $50,000,000

SECTION 3. Chapter 21A is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 28. (a) There shall be in the executive office of energy and environmental affairs a GreenWorks infrastructure program: (i) to issue public infrastructure grants to municipalities, local government bodies and other public instrumentalities for design, construction, building, land acquisition, rehabilitation, repair and other improvements to publically-owned infrastructure that improves climate adaptation and resiliency, mitigates the impacts of climate change, reduces carbon emissions, implements energy efficient or conservation measures, improves the energy efficiency of publically-owned buildings or contributes to the Commonwealth meeting its carbon emissions limits established in section 3 of chapter 21N; (ii) to issue grants to municipalities to assist in financing the siting and construction of renewable, energy storage and alternative energy projects on municipally-owned land; (iii) to issue grants to municipalities to implement adaptation and resiliency measures and infrastructure or building improvements outlined in the statewide adaptation strategy pursuant to section 10 of chapter 21N; or (iv) to issue grants to municipalities to implement infrastructure or other improvements to the built or natural environment as identified through the municipal vulnerability preparedness program.

(b) Eligible public infrastructure projects authorized by subsection (a) shall be located on public land or on public leasehold, right-of-way or easement. A project that uses grants to municipalities for public infrastructure provided by this section shall be procured by a municipality in accordance with chapter 7, section 39M of chapter 30, chapter 30B and chapter 149.

(c) There shall be at least 1 open solicitation period each year to accept and consider new applications. Not less than 12 weeks before the annual open solicitation period, the executive office of energy and environmental affairs shall release the criteria upon which the applications shall be judged including, but not limited to, a minimum project readiness standard, overall spending targets by project type and other preferences applying to that funding round. Grants may be made outside of the open solicitation period at the discretion of the secretary of energy and environmental affairs subject to subsections (d) and (e).

(d) An eligible city or town, acting by and through its municipal officers or by and through any agency designated by such municipal officers to act on their behalf, may apply to the program for a grant in a specific amount to fund a specified project. Two or more municipalities may apply jointly, with 1 municipality acting as fiscal agent, or through a regional planning agency acting as fiscal agent. The grants may be made in addition to other forms of local, state, and federal assistance.

(e) Within the program, at least 10 per cent of the grant funds shall be dedicated annually to assist towns with populations of 7,000 or less in undertaking qualifying projects. Such towns shall be eligible for a grant not to exceed $1,000,000 and towns shall be eligible to receive 1 grant every 3 fiscal years. Two or more towns eligible under this subsection may file a joint application for a single project serving those towns; provided, however, the total amount distributed to any 1 town shall not exceed the maximum amount allowed under this section. Receipt of a grant which is part of a joint application shall not preclude a town from receiving additional funds under a separate application.

(f) The secretary of energy and environmental affairs may establish rules and regulations to govern the application and distribution of grants under the program. The rules and regulations may include provisions for joint applications by 2 or more eligible towns for a single project serving those towns.

(g) The secretary of energy and environmental affairs shall report annually to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, who shall forward the report to the chairs of the joint committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy, the chairs of the senate and house committees on ways and means, and the chairs of house and senate committees on bonding, capital expenditures and state assets on the activities and status of the program. The report shall include a list and description of all projects that received grant funds under the program, the amount of the grant awarded to the project, other source of public funds that supported the project, a detailed analysis of the environmental impact of each project including, where applicable, the number of construction and full time equivalent jobs to be created, the private investment in the project, the expected tax revenue generated from the project, the projected energy efficiency savings and the projected greenhouse gas emission reductions.

SECTION 4. To meet the expenditures necessary in carrying out the provisions of section 2, the state treasurer shall, upon receipt of a request by the governor, issue and sell bonds of the commonwealth in an amount to be specified by the governor from time to time, but not exceeding, in the aggregate, $1,000,000,000. All bonds issued by the commonwealth, as aforesaid, shall be designated on their face, GreenWorks Capital Improvement Act of 2019, and shall be issued for a maximum term of years, not exceeding 20 years, as the governor may recommend to the general court pursuant to Section 3 of Article LXII of the Amendments to the Constitution; provided, however, that all such bonds shall be payable not later than June 30, 2050. All interest and payments on account of principal on such obligations shall be payable from the General Fund. Bonds and interest thereon issued under the authority of this section shall, notwithstanding any other provisions of this act, be general obligations of the commonwealth.

SECTION 5. To meet the expenditures necessary in carrying out the provisions of section 2A, the state treasurer shall, upon receipt of a request by the governor, issue and sell bonds of the commonwealth in an amount to be specified by the governor from time to time, but not exceeding, in the aggregate, $295,000,000. All bonds issued by the commonwealth, as aforesaid, shall be designated on their face, Climate Resiliency Act of 2019, and shall be issued for a maximum term of years, not exceeding 20 years, as the governor may recommend to the general court pursuant to Section 3 of Article LXII of the Amendments to the Constitution; provided, however, that all such bonds shall be payable not later than June 30, 2050. All interest and payments on account of principal on such obligations shall be payable from the General Fund. Bonds and interest thereon issued under the authority of this section shall, notwithstanding any other provisions of this act, be general obligations of the commonwealth.

SECTION 6. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, bonds or notes issued under section 4 shall not be included in the computation of outstanding bonds for purposes of the limit imposed by the second paragraph of section 60A of chapter 29 of the General Laws, nor shall debt service with respect to these bonds and notes be included in the computation of the limit imposed by section 60B of said chapter 29.

Name:	District/Address:	Date Added:
Thomas A. Golden, Jr.	16th Middlesex	5/28/2019