Section 19: Funding for energy efficiency programs; mandatory charge per kilowatt-hour; other funding; gas energy efficiency programs; allocation of funds; transfer of funds for the clean energy equity workforce and market development program
Section 19. (a) The department shall require a mandatory charge of 2.5 mills per kilowatt-hour for all consumers, except those served by a municipal lighting plant, to fund energy efficiency programs including, but not limited to, demand side management programs. The programs shall be administered by the electric distribution companies and by municipal aggregators with energy plans certified by the department under subsection (b) of section 134 of chapter 164. In addition to the aforementioned mandatory charge, such programs shall also be funded, without further appropriation, by: (1) amounts generated by the distribution companies and municipal aggregators under the Forward Capacity Market program administered by ISO–NE, as defined in section 1 of chapter 164; and (2) cap and trade pollution control programs, including, but not limited to, and subject to section 22 of chapter 21A, not less than 80 per cent of amounts generated by the carbon dioxide allowance trading mechanism established under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Memorandum of Understanding, as defined in subsection (a) of section 22 of chapter 21A, and the NOx Allowance Trading Program; and (3) other funding as approved by the department after consideration of: (i) the effect of any rate increases on residential and commercial consumers; (ii) the availability of other private or public funds, utility administered or otherwise, that may be available for energy efficiency or demand resources; and (iii) whether past programs have lowered the cost of electricity to residential and commercial consumers. In authorizing such programs, the department shall ensure that they are delivered in a cost-effective manner capturing all available efficiency opportunities, minimizing administrative costs to the fullest extent practicable; provided, however, that when determining cost-effectiveness, the calculation of program benefits shall include calculations of the social value of greenhouse gas emissions reductions, except in the cases of conversions from fossil fuel heating and cooling to fossil fuel heating and cooling and utilizing competitive procurement processes to the fullest extent practicable.
(b) The department may approve and fund gas energy efficiency programs proposed by gas distribution companies including, but not limited to, demand side management programs. Energy efficiency activities eligible for funding under this section shall include combined heat and power and geothermal heating and cooling projects. Funding may be supplemented by funds authorized by section 21. The programs shall be administered by the gas distribution companies. In authorizing such programs, the department shall ensure that they are delivered in a cost-effective manner capturing all available efficiency opportunities, minimizing administrative costs to the fullest extent practicable; provided, however, that when determining cost-effectiveness, the calculation of program benefits shall include calculations of the social value of greenhouse gas emissions reductions, except in the cases of conversions from fossil fuel heating and cooling to fossil fuel heating and cooling and utilizing competitive procurement processes to the fullest extent practicable.
(c) Electric and gas energy efficiency program funds shall be allocated to customer classes, including the low-income residential subclass, in proportion to their contributions to those funds; provided, however, that at least 10 per cent of the amount expended for electric energy efficiency programs and at least 20 per cent of the amount expended for gas energy efficiency programs shall be spent on comprehensive low-income residential demand side management and education programs. The low-income residential demand side management and education programs shall be implemented through the low-income weatherization and fuel assistance program network and shall be coordinated with all electric and gas distribution companies in the commonwealth with the objective of standardizing implementation. Such programs shall be screened only through cost-effectiveness testing which compares the value of program benefits to program costs to ensure that a program is designed to obtain energy savings and system benefits with value greater than the costs of the program; provided, however, that when determining cost-effectiveness, the calculation of benefits shall include calculations of the social value of greenhouse gas emissions reductions, except in the cases of conversions from fossil fuel heating and cooling to fossil fuel heating and cooling.
(d) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, the department shall annually direct the electric and gas distribution companies and municipal aggregators with certified energy plans to jointly transfer, on or before December 31, not less than $12,000,000 in funds collected pursuant to this section to the Massachusetts clean energy center for the clean energy equity workforce and market development program pursuant to subsection (b) of section 13 of chapter 23J; provided, however, such transfer shall not reduce the amount expended on low-income programs pursuant to subsection (c).