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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2955 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3465 |
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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 | | Mike Connolly |
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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 promoting the adoption of renewable energy for heating, cooling and hot water. |
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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:Mike Connolly26th Middlesex1/16/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2955 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3465 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Connolly of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3465) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Mike Connolly relative to promoting the adoption of renewable energy for heating, cooling and |
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| 20 | 20 | | hot water under the zoning law. 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. 3678 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 promoting the adoption of renewable energy for heating, cooling and hot water. |
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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 SECTION 1. Chapter 40A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2section 3 the following new subsection:- No zoning ordinance or by-law shall prohibit or |
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| 33 | 33 | | 3unreasonably regulate the installation of alternative and renewable energy systems for electricity, |
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| 34 | 34 | | 4heating, cooling or hot water or the building of structures that facilitate the use of alternative and |
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| 35 | 35 | | 5renewable energy systems for electricity, heating, cooling or hot water, except where necessary |
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| 36 | 36 | | 6to protect the public health, safety or welfare. |
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| 37 | 37 | | 7 Chapter 40A of the General Laws is hereby further amended by adding the following new |
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| 38 | 38 | | 8subsection:- A municipality may require any person or entity that applies for a permit to build a |
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| 39 | 39 | | 9new structure or for renovation of a portion of a building that is equal to or greater than 50 per |
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| 40 | 40 | | 10cent of the building area or to replace a pre-existing structure to include as part of the application 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 11for planning board approval, if applicable, and otherwise for a building permit a plan that uses |
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| 42 | 42 | | 12alternative and renewable energy sources and an analysis of the feasibility and cost of installing |
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| 43 | 43 | | 13such a system compared with a fossil fueled energy system. |
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| 44 | 44 | | 14 SECTION 2. Section 23C of Chapter 184 of the General Laws is hereby amended by |
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| 45 | 45 | | 15inserting after the words “use of” the following: (i) Section 23C of Chapter 184 of the General |
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| 46 | 46 | | 16Laws is hereby further amended by inserting after the words “solar energy” the following: , or |
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| 47 | 47 | | 17(ii) an alternative or renewable energy system, powered in whole or in part by the sun, wind, |
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| 48 | 48 | | 18water, biomass, alcohol, or any renewable, non-depletable or recyclable fuel. |
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| 49 | 49 | | 19 SECTION 3. Section 45B of Chapter 59 of the General Laws, is hereby amended by |
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| 50 | 50 | | 20adding the following paragraph at the end:-Any heat pump system being utilized as a primary or |
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| 51 | 51 | | 21auxiliary power system for the purpose of heating or otherwise supplying the energy needs of |
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| 52 | 52 | | 22property taxable under this chapter; provided, however, that such exemption shall be allowed |
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| 53 | 53 | | 23only for a period of twenty years from the date of the installation of such system or device. |
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