SECTION 1. Chapter 25A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 10A the following subsection:-

Section 10B. (a) Subject to appropriation, the department shall establish local community utility associations and local utility districts designed to serve areas not larger than a census tract and authorizes such associations to work in conjunction with utility companies and with other relevant agencies and craft unions to design, implement, operate, and maintain facilities such as photovoltaic solar power generation, geothermal heating and cooling, residential conservation efforts, stimulation of local agriculture, extension of vehicle fleet life, support of walkable development patterns, and conversion of existing vehicles to electric propulsion.

(b) The department, working in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, shall work with and assist community development corporations, neighborhood councils, and other non-profit organizations interested in adapting their communities to a more sustainable future to develop strategies to carry out this work in their communities. This assistance shall include the development of model documents governing their authority in working with multiple property owners within the communities and relating to utility, energy, transportation, and communications companies relative to individual solar and communications projects as well as collective geo-thermal and 'Community Solar' projects.