Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S2155 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. 1693 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2155
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Susan L. Moran
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 analyzing the benefits of burying utility wires.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Susan L. MoranPlymouth and Barnstable 1 of 5
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1693 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2155
18	18	By Ms. Moran, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2155) of Susan L. Moran for
19	19	legislation to analyze the benefits of burying utility wires. Telecommunications, Utilities and
20	20	Energy.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
24	24	(2023-2024)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act analyzing the benefits of burying utility wires.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. There shall be a commission to study the potential net benefits of
30	30	2undergrounding utility wires in the commonwealth.
31	31	3 The commission shall be comprised of the following members: the secretary of energy
32	32	4and environmental affairs or a designee, the secretary of administration and finance or a
33	33	5designee, the secretary of housing and economic development or a designee, the secretary of
34	34	6public safety and security or a designee, the director of the department of public utilities, the
35	35	7director of the department of energy resources, a representative from Eversource, a
36	36	8representative from National Grid, a representative from the Massachusetts Municipal
37	37	9Association, a member appointed by the speaker of the house, and a member appointed by the
38	38	10president of the senate.
39	39	11 The commission shall conduct a study that compares the total cost of undergrounding
40	40	12utility lines in different regions within the commonwealth and statewide with the societal cost 2 of 5
41	41	13due to natural disasters or potential loss of power that may occur due to taking no further action
42	42	14to underground utility lines.
43	43	15 For the purposes of the study, the following words shall have the following definitions:
44	44	16 “Societal cost”, the total direct or indirect financial or abstract cost of a certain action or
45	45	17lack thereof to a community, region, or state, including:
46	46	18 (a) loss of gross domestic product;
47	47	19 (b) loss of potential future gross domestic product due to decline in tourism or any other
48	48	20cause;
49	49	21 (c) cost increases for utility customers;
50	50	22 (d) costs due to mandatory or encouraged utility rationing for utility customers;
51	51	23 (e) costs incurred from safety hazards or concerns;
52	52	24 (f) costs to property owners or renters, businesses, or any other persons or entities;
53	53	25 (g) costs incurred from inhibition of internet service; and
54	54	26 (h) any other costs which the commission identifies.
55	55	27 “Utility distribution lines”, any cables, poles, or other infrastructure used to distribute
56	56	28electricity, internet service, cable service, or other utility service between a substation and any
57	57	29residential properties. 3 of 5
58	58	30 “Utility transmission lines”, any cables, poles, or other infrastructure used to distribute
59	59	31electricity, internet service, cable service, or other utility service between a generation plant and
60	60	32a substation or substations.
61	61	33 The study shall analyze the following, and estimate only where the cost is unknown:
62	62	34 The cost of undergrounding all utility distribution lines within the commonwealth;
63	63	35 The cost of undergrounding all utility distribution lines within the following regions of
64	64	36the commonwealth:
65	65	37 The South Shore;
66	66	38 Cape Cod;
67	67	39 Western Massachusetts; and
68	68	40 Any other region that the agencies conducting the study designate;
69	69	41 The cost of undergrounding all utility transmission lines within the commonwealth;
70	70	42 The cost of undergrounding all utility transmission lines within the following regions of
71	71	43the commonwealth:
72	72	44 The South Shore;
73	73	45 Cape Cod;
74	74	46 Western Massachusetts; and
75	75	47 Any other region that the agencies conducting the study designate; 4 of 5
76	76	48 The potential safety concerns, and total future societal cost to the commonwealth and its
77	77	49citizens and businesses, of taking no further action to underground any or all utility distribution
78	78	50lines within the commonwealth;
79	79	51 The potential safety concerns, and total future societal cost to the commonwealth and its
80	80	52citizens and businesses of taking no further action to underground any or all utility distribution
81	81	53lines within the following regions of the commonwealth:
82	82	54 The South Shore;
83	83	55 Cape Cod;
84	84	56 Western Massachusetts; and
85	85	57 Any other region that the agencies conducting the study designate;
86	86	58 The potential safety concerns, and total future societal cost to the commonwealth and its
87	87	59citizens and businesses of taking no further action to underground any and all utility transmission
88	88	60lines within the commonwealth; and
89	89	61 The potential safety concerns, and total future societal cost to the commonwealth and its
90	90	62citizens and businesses of taking no further action to underground any and all utility transmission
91	91	63lines within the following regions of the commonwealth:
92	92	64 The South Shore;
93	93	65 Cape Cod;
94	94	66 Western Massachusetts; and 5 of 5
95	95	67 Any other region that the agencies conducting the study designate.
96	96	68 The study shall divide all costs analyzed in the study by responsibility, including, but not
97	97	69limited to: state costs, municipal costs, and others. The study shall divide all costs analyzed in
98	98	70the study into the total cost, and into cost time periods, based on when the cost will be realized
99	99	71by the responsible entity. The time periods shall be 10, 25, and 50 years from the date of the
100	100	72study’s completion.
101	101	73 SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the department
102	102	74of public utilities shall promulgate regulations to require utility companies with utility
103	103	75distribution or transmission lines in the commonwealth to establish a ranking system for their
104	104	76utility lines that measures the prudence of undergrounding each utility line. The regulations shall
105	105	77allow utility companies in the commonwealth to group utility lines together for the purpose of
106	106	78ranking, provided, however, that the smallest designated group of utility lines shall not be larger
107	107	79than the municipality in which the utility lines are located.