Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S2148 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1856 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2148
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Paul W. Mark
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to solar for state agencies.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Paul W. MarkBerkshire, Hampden, Franklin and
16	16	Hampshire 1 of 3
17	17	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1856 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
18	18	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2148
19	19	By Mr. Mark, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2148) of Paul W. Mark for legislation
20	20	to require state agencies that initiate construction of new facilities or renovation of existing
21	21	facilities to install solar energy systems on or near such facilities. Telecommunications, Utilities
22	22	and Energy.
23	23	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
24	24	SEE HOUSE, NO. 3342 OF 2021-2022.]
25	25	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
26	26	_______________
27	27	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
28	28	(2023-2024)
29	29	_______________
30	30	An Act relative to solar for state agencies.
31	31	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
32	32	of the same, as follows:
33	33	1 Chapter 7C of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 29 the
34	34	2following section:-
35	35	3 Section 29A. (a) As used in this section the following words shall have the following
36	36	4meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:-
37	37	5 “Effective solar area,” the portion of a building roof on which the output from a solar
38	38	6energy system, taking into account shading from existing permanent natural or manmade barriers
39	39	7external to the building (including but not limited to trees, hills, and adjacent structures), would
40	40	8be equivalent to 70 percent or greater of the output of an unshaded solar energy system on an
41	41	9annual basis. 2 of 3
42	42	10 “Solar energy system”, any system that uses solar energy to provide all or a portion of the
43	43	11electrical needs of a building.
44	44	12 “Substitute renewable energy system”, any system that uses renewable energy resources
45	45	13other than solar energy to provide for all or a portion of the electrical needs of a building;
46	46	14provided, that a renewable energy system shall use a technology eligible for the renewable
47	47	15portfolio standard under subsection (c) of section 11F of chapter 25A of the General Laws.
48	48	16 (b) Beginning on January 1, 2024, the commissioner shall require a state agency that
49	49	17initiates the construction of a new facility owned or operated by the commonwealth or a
50	50	18renovation of an existing facility owned or operated by the commonwealth when the renovation
51	51	19costs exceed $25,000 and includes the replacement of systems, components or other building
52	52	20elements which affect energy consumption to install a solar energy system on or near the facility.
53	53	21 (c) If the effective solar area is sufficiently large, the solar energy system shall produce
54	54	22enough electricity on an annual basis to meet 100 percent of the projected annual electricity
55	55	23demand of the building.
56	56	24 (d) If the effective solar area is insufficient to meet 100 percent of the building’s
57	57	25projected annual electricity demand, the state agency shall either (1) install a solar energy system
58	58	26occupying as much of the effective solar area as possible, or (2) install a ground-mounted solar
59	59	27energy system, provided that the installation of a ground-mounted solar energy system does not
60	60	28cause an unacceptable negative impact to the commonwealth’s natural or historic resources, and
61	61	29provided that the solar energy system shall be sized to meet 100 percent of the building’s
62	62	30projected annual electricity demand or the maximum possible given the available space. 3 of 3
63	63	31 (e) An agency may seek an exemption from the requirements of this section if the
64	64	32effective solar area is less than 80 contiguous square feet and there is no suitable location for a
65	65	33ground-mounted solar energy system.
66	66	34 (f) An agency may seek an exemption from the requirements of this section if a substitute
67	67	35renewable energy system will be installed at the time of construction meeting 100 percent of the
68	68	36building’s projected annual electricity demand, or producing an equivalent amount of electricity
69	69	37on an annual basis as the largest solar energy facility possible under subsection (d) of this
70	70	38section. An agency may seek a reduction in the required size of a solar energy system upon a
71	71	39sufficient showing that a substitute renewable energy system will be installed at the time of
72	72	40construction, producing sufficient electricity on an annual basis to offset the reduction in
73	73	41electricity produced by the solar energy system.