HOUSE . . . . . . . . No. 4540
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES , April 16, 2024.
The committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, to whom
was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3154) of
Tackey Chan for legislation to establish a program within the Department
of Public Utilities to educate commercial building managers and operators
relative to energy efficiency, reports recommending that the
accompanying bill (House, No. 4540) ought to pass.
For the committee,
JEFFREY N. ROY. 1 of 2
FILED ON: 4/5/2024
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4540
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act relative to energy efficiency education.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1.Subsection (b)(2) of section 21 of chapter 25 of the General Laws as
2appearing in the 2020 Official Edition is hereby amended by inserting after the word “benefit.”
3in line 70 the following words:-
4 The plan must include programs for in-depth education and training to be offered
5statewide to commercial building managers and operators, whether such buildings are privately
6owned or owned by a non-profit organization, and the programs shall educate and train such
7managers about how to economically achieve greater energy efficiency and reduced energy use,
8whether such use is electricity, natural gas or heating oil, and may include, but not be limited to,
9best energy use and efficiency practices, use of new technologies, use of metering, tracking, and
10monitoring energy use, and economic analysis of reduced energy use. Such education and
11training sessions may be offered both in person and on-line and shall include interactive teaching
12methods, case studies, and subject matter experts. This required education and training
13component of the plan shall consider using existing training programs offered by the Association
14of Energy Engineers, the Building Operators Certificate Program, the Building Owners and 2 of 2
15Managers Institute, or other similar programs, and shall be approved by a five member advisory
16committee made up of two building operators or building managers named by the Greater
17Boston Real Estate Board, two members who are energy efficiency experts named jointly by the
18electric and natural gas distribution companies and the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council, and
19one member named jointly by the Greater Boston Real Estate Board and the Energy Efficiency
20Advisory Council who shall be the chair. The companies shall every six months report to the
21committee on the utilization of the education and training programs and attendee feedback on the
22value of the programs. The cost of such training shall be split between the attendees and the
23distribution companies, with the distribution companies using monies from energy efficiency
24funding, and attendees at the education and training sessions who shall pay no more than 30
25percent of the costs. The plan shall include tuition reimbursement for education and training
26programs for building operators and engineers that are approved by the committee, including but
27not limited to energy efficiency programs offered by the Association of Energy Engineers, the
28Building Operators Certificate Program, and the Building Owners and Managers Institute.
29 SECTION 2. Section 1 shall take effect immediately and the education and training
30sessions required in the plans that are required by section 1 shall begin to be offered no later than
31September 1, 2025.