Budget Amendment ID: FY2024-S3-25

ENV 25

Low-Income Services Solar Program

Messrs. O'Connor, Tarr, Feeney and Pacheco moved that the proposed new text be amended inserting the following section:-

"SECTION XX. Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 2LLLLL, as enacted by section 54 of chapter 8 of the Acts of 2021 and amended by section 21 of chapter 126 of the Acts of 2022 and by section 15 of chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023, and inserting in place thereof the following section:

Section 2LLLLL. There is hereby established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate, non-budgeted special fund to be known as the low-income services solar program, which shall be administered by the department of energy resources. There shall be credited into the fund revenues or other financing sources directed to the fund by appropriation or other monies authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund, any income derived from the investment of amounts credited to the fund and monies from the repayment of loans from the fund, funds from public or private sources including, but not limited to, gifts, federal, state, or private grants, donations, rebates and settlements received by the commonwealth that are specifically designated to be credited to the fund and all other amounts credited or transferred into the fund from any other source. The department shall establish a grant program to provide solar energy technology to non-profit organizations offering services including, but not limited to, food security, homelessness and emergency shelter; provided, that any such grant shall be expended for solar energy technology at the principal place of the non-profit organization’s operations or at any location or site that has a primary or secondary function to provide benefits or services, including, but not limited to, satellite operations space or affiliated organization locations; provided further, that 100 per cent of the solar energy produced by said technology will benefit the awarded non-profit organization. The amounts credited to the fund shall be available for expenditure, not subject to appropriation, for the costs associated with purchasing and installing solar energy generating equipment for non-profit organizations that meet criteria set forth by the department; provided, that not less than 10 grants shall be awarded per fiscal year; provided further, that no grant amount shall exceed $50,000; and provided further, that grants shall be awarded in geographically diverse areas of the commonwealth. The department shall annually submit a report on disbursements of the fund, including, but not limited to, grant awardees and amounts awarded, to the clerks of the house and senate and the joint committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy not later than December 31."