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April 14, 2026 Clouds | 76°F
The 194th General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Bill S.2297 194th (Current)

An Act relative to fair and stable utility pricing

By Mr. Mark, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2297) of Paul W. Mark and Steven George Xiarhos for legislation relative to fair and stable utility pricing. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

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Bill Information

Presenter:
Paul W. Mark

DPU Regulation

This proposed legislation caps DPU's ability to increase rates to no higher than CPI inflation, puts in a timeline for requesting rate increases and reviews by DPU, and prohibits them from counting their advertising and charitable donations in their costs vs. profits for rate increase requests. The proposed amendments to Chapter 164 of the General Laws introduce stricter regulations on electricity rates, requiring that, by March 1, 2026, standard service rates be capped annually at the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate to preserve rate reduction values. Any proposed rate increases must be approved by the department following a 60-day notice, public hearings, and investigations, with ongoing reviews to ensure rates remain appropriate and fair. The amendments also mandate performance-based rate systems for distribution, transmission, and gas companies, including benchmarks for service quality, customer satisfaction, outage management, employee training, and public safety, while excluding advertising and charitable activity costs from rate calculations. These measures aim to enhance transparency, accountability, and service quality in the energy sector.
* The bill summary was created by the Primary Sponsor of the bill; no committee of the General Court certifies the accuracy of its contents.

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