Section 92B: Electric-sector modernization plans
Section 92B. (a) The department shall direct each electric company to develop an electric-sector modernization plan to proactively upgrade the distribution and, where applicable, transmission systems to: (i) improve grid reliability, communications and resiliency; (ii) enable increased, timely adoption of renewable energy and distributed energy resources; (iii) promote energy storage and electrification technologies necessary to decarbonize the environment and economy; (iv) prepare for future climate-driven impacts on the transmission and distribution systems; (v) accommodate increased transportation electrification, increased building electrification and other potential future demands on distribution and, where applicable, transmission systems; and (vi) minimize or mitigate impacts on the ratepayers of the commonwealth, thereby helping the commonwealth realize its statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits and sublimits under chapter 21N.
(b) An electric-sector modernization plan developed pursuant to subsection (a) shall describe in detail each of the following elements: (i) improvements to the electric distribution system to increase reliability and strengthen system resiliency to address potential weather-related and disaster-related risks; (ii) the availability and suitability of new technologies including, but not limited to, smart inverters, advanced metering and telemetry and energy storage technology for meeting forecasted reliability and resiliency needs, as applicable; (iii) patterns and forecasts of distributed energy resource adoption in the company's territory and upgrades that might facilitate or inhibit increased adoption of such technologies; (iv) improvements to the distribution system that will enable customers to express preferences for access to renewable energy resources; (v) improvements to the distribution system that will facilitate transportation or building electrification; (vi) improvements to the transmission or distribution system to facilitate achievement of the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits under chapter 21N; (vii) opportunities to deploy energy storage technologies to improve renewable energy utilization and avoid curtailment; (viii) alternatives to proposed investments, including changes in rate design, load management and other methods for reducing demand, enabling flexible demand and supporting dispatchable demand response; and (ix) alternative approaches to financing proposed investments, including, but not limited to, cost allocation arrangements between developers and ratepayers and, with respect to any proposed investments in transmission systems, cost allocation arrangements and methods that allow for the equitable allocation of costs to, and the equitable sharing of costs with, other states and populations and interests within other states that are likely to benefit from said investments. For all proposed investments and alternative approaches, each electric company shall identify customer benefits associated with the investments and alternatives including, but not limited to, safety, grid reliability and resiliency, facilitation of the electrification of buildings and transportation, integration of distributed energy resources, avoided renewable energy curtailment, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants, avoided land use impacts and minimization or mitigation of impacts on the ratepayers of the commonwealth.
(c) In developing a plan pursuant to subsection (a), an electric company shall:
(i) prepare and use 3 planning horizons for electric demand, including a 5–year forecast, a 10–year forecast and a demand assessment through 2050 to account for future trends, including, but not limited to, future trends in the adoption of renewable energy, distributed energy resources and energy storage and electrification technologies necessary to achieve the statewide greenhouse gas emission limits and sublimits under chapter 21N;
(ii) consider and include a summary of all proposed and related investments, alternatives to these investments and alternative approaches to financing these investments that have been reviewed, are under consideration or have been approved by the department previously; and
(iii) solicit input, such as planning scenarios and modeling, from the Grid Modernization Advisory Council established in section 92C, respond to information and document requests from said council and conduct technical conferences and a minimum of 2 stakeholder meetings to inform the public, appropriate state and federal agencies and companies engaged in the development and installation of distributed generation, energy storage, vehicle electrification systems and building electrification systems.
(d) An electric company shall submit its first plan for review, input and recommendations to the Grid Modernization Advisory Council established in section 92C by September 1, 2023, and thereafter once every 5 years in accordance with a schedule determined by the department; provided, however, that the plan shall be submitted to the Grid Modernization Advisory Council not later than 150 days before the electric company files the plan with the department; and provided further, that the Grid Modernization Advisory Council shall return the plan to the company with recommendations not later than 70 days before the company files the plan with the department.
An electric company shall submit its electric-sector modernization plan, together with a demonstration of the Grid Modernization Advisory Council's review, input and recommendations, including, but not limited to, a list of each individual recommendation, the status of each recommendation and an explanation of whether and why each recommendation was adopted, adopted as modified or rejected, along with a statement of any unresolved issues, to the department in accordance with a schedule determined by the department. The electric company shall be permitted to include in base electric distribution rates all prudently incurred plant additions that are used and are useful. The department shall promptly consider the plan and shall provide an opportunity for interested parties to be heard in a public hearing. The department shall approve, approve with modifications or reject the plan within 7 months of submittal. In order to be approved, a plan shall provide net benefits for customers and meet the criteria enumerated in clauses (i) to (vi), inclusive, of subsection (a).
(e) An electric-sector modernization plan developed by an electric company pursuant to subsection (a) shall propose discrete, specific, enumerated investments to the distribution and, where applicable, transmission systems, alternatives to such investments and alternative approaches to financing such investments, that facilitate grid modernization, greater reliability, communications and resiliency, increased enablement of distributed energy resources, increased transportation electrification, increased building electrification and the minimization or mitigation of ratepayer impacts, in order to meet the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits and sublimits under chapter 21N. An electric company shall submit 2 reports per year to the department and the joint committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy on the deployment of approved investments in accordance with any performance metrics included in the approved plans.