HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4550

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, March 12, 2020.

The committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2814) of Paul Brodeur and others  relative to reliable and efficient delivery of electric power from offshore wind energy generation, reports recommending that the accompanying bill (House, No. 4550) ought to pass.

For the committee,

THOMAS A. GOLDEN, JR..

        FILED ON: 2/19/2020

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4550

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 transmission for offshore wind energy.

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 83B of chapter 169 of the Acts of 2008, as amended by chapter 188 of the acts of 2016, is hereby amended by adding after the definition of “Distribution company” the following definitions:-

“Expandable transmission”, a facility comprised of wires and substations that gathers power from one or more sources of offshore wind energy generation and delivers it to the regional wholesale power grid for distribution and can be expanded incrementally to deliver additional quantities of offshore wind energy generation.

“Expandable transmission developer”, a developer selected by the department of energy resources to permit, construct and operate an expandable transmission facility pursuant to subsection (k) of section 83C.

SECTION 2. Section 83C is hereby amended by adding after subsection (j) the following subsection:-

(k) In order to provide for the reliable and efficient delivery of electric power from offshore wind energy generation, the department of energy resources, in consultation with the distribution companies, the attorney general, and representatives of the fishing industry, and not later than December 31, 2020, may competitively solicit proposals for expandable transmission that will deliver power produced by offshore wind energy generation located in federal offshore wind energy lease sites to the commonwealth. A solicitation for expandable transmission proposals issued under this subsection may be coordinated and issued jointly with other New England states or entities designated by those states. Provided that reasonable proposals have been received, the department, in consultation with the distribution companies, the attorney general, and representatives of the fishing industry, shall select one of these proposals for delivery of said power. A developer of an expandable transmission project selected according to this subsection shall apply to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to recover the costs of said project through an approved federal tariff. A developer of an expandable transmission project selected under this subsection shall obtain all necessary permits and approvals for construction of the entire project within a timeframe determined by the department; provided, however, that said developer shall not construct any portion of said project until authorized and directed to do so by the department of energy resources and shall only construct that portion of the project needed to reliably and efficiently deliver power from wind energy generation produced under contracts approved by the department of energy resources and the department of public utilities pursuant to this section.

SECTION 3. Section 83C is hereby further amended by striking (k) and replacing with the following:- (l)

Section 83C is hereby further amended by striking (l) and replacing with the following:- (m)

Section 83C is hereby further amended by striking (m) and replacing with the following:- (n)