Amendment #10, as changed to H4515

Environmental Justice and Economic Opportunity

Ms. Miranda of Boston moves to amend the bill in section 11, by striking out lines 210 to 227, inclusive, and inserting place thereof the following words:-

(6) provide funds for workforce training to prepare individuals for offshore wind careers to: (i) state and municipal public higher education institutions, private higher education institutions, and vocational-technical education institutions for the adoption of basic safety training and basic technical training programs; provided, that the center shall prioritize awards to education institutions seeking accreditation in internationally recognized training standards, including, but not limited to, standards developed by the Global Wind Organisation; (ii) state and municipal public higher education institutions, private higher education institutions, and vocational-technical education institutions for the development, expansion and promotion of offshore wind professional certificate programs and courses tailored to careers in the offshore wind industry for students in associate and baccalaureate degree programs; (iii) state and municipal public higher education institutions, private higher education institutions, and vocational-technical education institutions for the sponsorship of award, scholarship and paid internship programs to support the education and training of individuals seeking careers in the offshore wind industry; provided, that the center shall prioritize the promotion of careers in the skilled trades, water transportation, operations and maintenance and other occupations that the center identifies as high priority; and (iv) regional employment boards to develop a regional strategy to support the development of the offshore wind industry and to publish their findings as an addendum to their workforce development blueprints; provided, that recipients of funds under this clause shall demonstrate a commitment to workforce training for members of socially or economically disadvantaged communities;

And further moves to amend the bill by inserting after section 11 the following section:-

SECTION 11A. Said chapter 23J is hereby further amended by striking out section 13, as inserted by section 14 of chapter 8 of the acts of 2021, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 13. (a) There shall be within the center a clean energy equity workforce and market development program to provide workforce training, educational and professional development, job placement, startup opportunities and grants promoting participation in the commonwealth’s, energy efficiency, clean energy, and clean heating and cooling industries to: (i) certified minority-owned and women-owned small business enterprises; (ii) individuals residing within an environmental justice community; and (iii) current and former workers from the fossil fuel industry. The program shall: (i) identify the employment potential of the energy efficiency and clean energy industries and the skills and training needed for workers in those fields; (ii) maximize energy efficiency and clean energy employment opportunities for certified minority-owned and women-owned small business enterprises and individuals residing within an environmental justice community; (iii) identify barriers to deployment of clean energy and energy storage resources to certified minority-owned and women-owned small business enterprises; (iv) recommend near-term deployment targets consistent with the state’s clean energy and climate change requirements and awarding incentives to deploy said resources; (v) focus on the employment potential, skills and training, and employment opportunities for certified minority-owned and women-owned small business enterprises within the offshore wind industry; and (vi) make recommendations to the general court for policies to promote employment growth and access to jobs in the clean energy industry.

(b) There shall be a program coordinator to administer the program established in subsection (a). In addition to the purposes set forth in subsection (a), the program coordinator shall prepare guidance on best practices to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion opportunities in the offshore wind industry. Offshore wind developers, as defined in section 83B of chapter 169 of the acts of 2008, may consult the program coordinator in the development of diversity, equity and inclusion opportunity provisions within their proposals pursuant to subclause (xi) of clause 5 of subsection (d) of chapter 83C of said chapter 169, and the program coordinator shall provide feedback and recommendations. The program coordinator shall produce an annual report detailing: (i) the activities of the clean energy equity workforce and market development program; (ii) the progress on workforce diversity plans and a supplier diversity program plans submitted by offshore wind developers pursuant to said clause 5 of said subsection (d) of said section 83C of said chapter 169; and (iii) plans for continued programming by the center to achieve the commonwealth’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals.

(c) The department of public utilities shall annually direct the electric and gas distribution companies and municipal aggregators with certified energy plans to jointly transfer funds collected pursuant to section 19 of chapter 25 to the center for the purposes of implementing the clean energy equity workforce and market development program; provided, that the electric and gas distribution companies and municipal aggregators with certified energy plans shall transfer not less than $12,000,000 no later than December 31 each year. Such transfer shall not reduce the amount expended on low-income programs pursuant to subsection (c) of said section 19 of said chapter 25.

And further moves to amend the bill, in section 20, by striking out lines 648 to 680, inclusive, and inserting in place thereof the following words:-

(d) The department of public utilities shall promulgate regulations consistent with this section. The regulations shall: (1) allow offshore wind developers of offshore wind energy generation to submit proposals for long-term contracts consistent with this section; (2) require that a proposed long-term contract executed by the distribution companies under a proposal be filed with, and approved by, the department of public utilities before becoming effective; (3) provide for an annual remuneration for the contracting distribution company up to 2.5 per cent of the annual payments under the contract; provided, that the distribution company demonstrates either: (i) that the financing cost reduction enabled by entering into the contract as compared to an uncontracted merchant project is equal to or greater than the requested remuneration rate, or (ii) that the financial obligation or risk incurred by the distribution company for entering into the long-term contract support the requested remuneration rate, such provision to be acted upon by the department of public utilities at the time of contract approval; (4) require associated transmission costs to be incorporated into a proposal; provided, that to the extent there are transmission costs included in a bid, the department of public utilities may authorize or require the contracting parties to seek recovery of such transmission costs of the project through federal transmission rates, consistent with policies and tariffs of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, to the extent the department finds such recovery is in the public interest; and (5) require that proposals meet the following criteria: (i) provide enhanced electricity reliability and energy security; (ii) contribute to reducing winter electricity price spikes; (iii) are cost effective to electric ratepayers in the commonwealth over the term of the contract, taking into consideration potential economic and environmental benefits to the ratepayers; (iv) avoid line loss and mitigate transmission costs to the extent possible and ensure that transmission cost overruns, if any, are not borne by ratepayers; (v) provide optimal interconnection locations; (vi) adequately demonstrate project viability in a commercially reasonable timeframe; (vii) allow offshore wind energy generation resources to be paired with energy storage systems, including new and existing long-duration and multi-day energy storage systems; (viii) include an initial environmental and fisheries mitigation plan for the construction and operation of such offshore wind facilities; (ix) mitigate impacts to the marine environment by providing financial and technical assistance to support robust monitoring of wildlife and habitat through a contribution to regional research efforts; (x) include benefits to environmental justice populations and low-income ratepayers in the commonwealth; (xi) include opportunities for diversity, equity and inclusion, including, at a minimum, a workforce diversity plan and a supplier diversity program plan; and (xii) where feasible, create and foster economic development and quality, high-paying jobs in the commonwealth.

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #10, as changed to H4515

Environmental Justice and Economic Opportunity