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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2892 FILED ON: 12/12/2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2531 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Michael J. Barrett |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act advancing grid enhancement technologies. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Michael J. BarrettThird Middlesex 1 of 3 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2892 FILED ON: 12/12/2023 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2531 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Mr. Barrett, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2531) (subject to Joint Rule 12) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Michael J. Barrett for legislation to advance grid enhancement technologies. |
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| 20 | 20 | | Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy. |
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| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
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| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | An Act advancing grid enhancement technologies. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1 Section 164 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting the following section: |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2 Section 149. (a) Definitions. |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3 Grid Enhancing Technology. Any hardware or software technology that enables |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4enhanced or more efficient performance from the electric transmission system, including, but not |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5limited to, dynamic line rating, advanced power flow control technology, topology optimization, |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6advanced reconductoring, and energy storage when used as a transmission resource. |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7 Department. The Department of Public Utilities. |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8 Advanced Reconductors. Hardware technology that can conduct electricity across |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9transmission lines and demonstrate enhanced performance over traditional conductor products. 2 of 3 |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10 Dynamic Line Rating. Hardware and/or software technologies used to appropriately |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11update the calculated thermal limits of existing transmission lines based on real-time and |
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| 40 | 40 | | 12forecasted weather conditions. |
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| 41 | 41 | | 13 Advanced Power Flow Control. Hardware and/or software technologies used to push or |
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| 42 | 42 | | 14pull electric power in a manner that balances overloaded lines and underutilized corridors within |
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| 43 | 43 | | 15the transmission network. |
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| 44 | 44 | | 16 Topology Optimization. Hardware and/or software technologies that identify |
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| 45 | 45 | | 17reconfigurations of the transmission grid and can enable the routing of power flows around |
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| 46 | 46 | | 18congested or overloaded transmission elements. |
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| 47 | 47 | | 19 (b) For base rate proceedings and other proceedings in which a distribution company |
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| 48 | 48 | | 20proposes capital improvements or additions to the transmission system, the distribution company |
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| 49 | 49 | | 21shall conduct a cost-effectiveness and timetable analysis of multiple strategies, including, but not |
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| 50 | 50 | | 22limited to, the deployment of grid enhancing technologies, advanced reconductoring, and energy |
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| 51 | 51 | | 23storage used as a transmission resource. Where grid enhancing technologies, advanced |
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| 52 | 52 | | 24reconductoring, or energy storage used as a transmission resource whether in combination with |
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| 53 | 53 | | 25or instead of capital investments, offer a more cost-effective strategy to achieve transmission |
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| 54 | 54 | | 26goals, including, but not limited to, distributed energy resource interconnection, the Department |
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| 55 | 55 | | 27may approve the deployment of grid enhancing technologies, advanced reconductoring, or |
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| 56 | 56 | | 28energy storage used as a transmission resource as part of the overall solutions strategy. |
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| 57 | 57 | | 29 (c) As part of a base rate filing or other filing in which it proposes capital improvements |
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| 58 | 58 | | 30or additions to the transmission system, the distribution company may propose a performance |
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| 59 | 59 | | 31incentive mechanism that provides a financial incentive for the cost-effective deployment of grid 3 of 3 |
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| 60 | 60 | | 32enhancing technologies, advanced reconductoring, or energy storage used as a transmission |
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| 61 | 61 | | 33resource. |
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| 62 | 62 | | 34 (d) The Department shall establish regulations to implement subsections (b) and (c). |
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| 63 | 63 | | 35 (e) Every five years from the effective date of this Act, each distribution company shall |
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| 64 | 64 | | 36make a compliance filing with the Department, ISO-New England, and the Telecommunications, |
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| 65 | 65 | | 37Utilities, and Energy Committee on or before September 1st on the deployment of grid |
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| 66 | 66 | | 38enhancing technologies, advanced reconductoring, or energy storage used as a transmission |
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| 67 | 67 | | 39resource in a format determined by the Department. |
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