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2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3590 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3452 |
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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 | | Natalie M. Blais |
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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 protecting consumers from unreasonable utility rate increases. |
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13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Natalie M. Blais1st Franklin1/17/2025Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/25/2025Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester2/6/2025Steven George Xiarhos5th Barnstable2/6/2025 1 of 2 |
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16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3590 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3452 |
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18 | 18 | | By Representative Blais of Deerfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3452) of |
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19 | 19 | | Natalie M. Blais and others relative to protecting consumers from unreasonable utility rate |
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20 | 20 | | increases. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy. |
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21 | 21 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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22 | 22 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 3143 OF 2023-2024.] |
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23 | 23 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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25 | 25 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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26 | 26 | | (2025-2026) |
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27 | 27 | | _______________ |
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28 | 28 | | An Act protecting consumers from unreasonable utility rate increases. |
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29 | 29 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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30 | 30 | | of the same, as follows: |
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31 | 31 | | 1 Chapter 164 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 94I the |
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32 | 32 | | 2following section:- |
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33 | 33 | | 3 Section 94J. (a) In any base rate proceeding conducted by the department under section |
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34 | 34 | | 494 for electric companies or gas companies, the department may not approve an allowed return |
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35 | 35 | | 5on equity higher than the average allowed return on equity approved in neighboring states over |
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36 | 36 | | 6the preceding 4 years. Such requirement may be waived only upon a specific showing that the |
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37 | 37 | | 7constitutional rights of the electric or gas company would otherwise be violated. 2 of 2 |
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38 | 38 | | 8 (b) The determination of allowed return on equity under this section shall not include |
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39 | 39 | | 9compensation related to programs under section 21 of chapter 25 or any performance incentives |
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40 | 40 | | 10designed to promote the efficient, clean, and reliable operation of the electric or gas system. |
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41 | 41 | | 11 (c) For the purposes of this section, “neighboring states” shall mean Connecticut, Rhode |
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42 | 42 | | 12Island, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. |
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