Section 141: Decisions or actions regarding rate design; adjustment to low-income rate discount
Section 141. In all decisions or actions regarding rate designs, the department shall consider the impacts of such actions on: (i) on-site generation; (ii) the replacement of gas infrastructure with utility-scale non-emitting renewable thermal energy infrastructure; (iii) the reduction of greenhouse gases as mandated by chapter 21N to reduce energy use; (iv) efforts to increase efficiency and encourage non-emitting renewable sources of energy; (v) the findings of utility-scale renewable thermal energy pilots approved by the department of public utilities pursuant to section 99 of chapter 8 of the acts of 2021; (vi) data collected related to the design and operation of networked geothermal demonstration projects approved by the department of public utilities pursuant to chapter 102 of the acts of 2021, including data on any reduction of lost and unaccounted for gas as defined in section 147; and (vii) the use of new financial incentives to support energy efficiency efforts. Where the scale of on-site generation would have an impact on affordability for low-income customers, a fully compensating adjustment shall be made to the low-income rate discount.