HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1187        FILED ON: 2/2/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3363

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Maria Duaime Robinson

_________________

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 establishing a natural gas demand response pilot program.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Maria Duaime Robinson

6th Middlesex

1/25/2021

Tami L. Gouveia

14th Middlesex

2/22/2021

Patrick Joseph Kearney

4th Plymouth

2/22/2021

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

2/23/2021

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

2/23/2021

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/26/2021


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1187        FILED ON: 2/2/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3363

By Ms. Robinson of Framingham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3363) of Maria Duaime Robinson and others for legislation to establish a natural gas demand response pilot program within the Department of Public Utilities.  Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3791 OF 2019-2020.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

 

An Act establishing a natural gas demand response pilot program.

 

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.  Chapter 25 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 21 the following section:-

Section 21A. The department of public utilities shall establish and administer a program, to be known as the Natural Gas Demand Response Program, to implement a natural gas demand response program in the commonwealth. The department shall promulgate regulations as necessary to implement the program.

SECTION 2. (a) The department of public utilities together with the department of energy resources shall conduct a study assessing the potential for implementing a natural gas demand response program to meet winter peak demand, and shall consider, at a minimum: (i) the impact that such program might have on reducing stress on the distribution system, (ii) the value of the environmental impacts of such program; and (iii) the ratepayer impact, which the departments shall consider in conjunction with the office of the attorney general in its role as the commonwealth’s ratepayer advocate.

(b) In conducting the study, the departments shall ensure the method is consistent with published academic and industry guidance, and shall consult stakeholders with experience and expertise in power systems, natural gas pipelines, and electric and natural gas utility ratemaking regarding the proposed method, underlying assumptions and preliminary data.

(c) The departments shall submit to the clerks for the house of representatives and the senate, and to the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy a report on the determination of the feasibility and value of natural gas demand response to the commonwealth not later than 180 days after the effective date of this act.

SECTION 3. The department of public utilities shall, within 30 days of the report submitted pursuant to section 2 and in consideration of the findings of the study required pursuant to said section 2, establish and implement the Natural Gas Demand Response Program pursuant to section 21A of chapter 25 of the General Laws.