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November 21, 2024 Clouds | 46°F
The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Section 2LLLLL: Low-income services solar program

[ Text of section effective until March 29, 2023. For text effective March 29, 2023, see below.]

  Section 2LLLLL. There is hereby established and set up on the books of the commonwealth an expendable trust to be known as the low-income services solar program. The secretary of energy and environmental affairs 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 trust shall be available for expenditure, 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 secretary; 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 executive office of energy and environmental affairs shall annually submit a report on disbursements of the trust, 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.

Chapter 29: Section 2LLLLL. Low-income services solar program

[ Text of section as amended by 2023, 2, Sec. 15 effective March 29, 2023 until July 1, 2023. For text effective until March 29, 2023, see above. For text effective July 1, 2023, see below.]

  Section 2LLLLL. There is hereby established and set up on the books of the commonwealth an expendable trust to be known as the low-income services solar program. The secretary of energy and environmental affairs 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 trust 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 secretary; 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 executive office of energy and environmental affairs shall annually submit a report on disbursements of the trust, 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.

Chapter 29: Section 2LLLLL. Low-income services solar program

[ Text of section as amended by 2023, 28, Sec. 16 effective July 1, 2023. For text effective until July 1, 2023, see above.]

  Section 2LLLLL. There shall be a separate, non-budgeted Low-income Services Solar Program Fund that 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 any other money 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 money 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 nonprofit organizations offering services, including, but not limited to, food security and homelessness and emergency shelter; provided, however, that any such grant shall be expended for solar energy technology at the principal place of the nonprofit organization's operations or at any location or site that has a primary or secondary function to provide such 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 the technology shall benefit the nonprofit organization. The amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to appropriation and shall be available for expenditure for the costs associated with purchasing and installing solar energy generating equipment for nonprofit organizations that meet criteria set forth by the department. Not less than 10 grants shall be awarded per fiscal year to nonprofits located in geographically diverse areas and no grant amount shall exceed $50,000. The department shall submit an annual report on all disbursements made from the fund, including, but not limited to, a list of grant awardees and the amounts awarded, to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and the joint committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy not later than December 31.