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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3883 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3466
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Mike Connolly
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act facilitating public ownership of public utilities.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Mike Connolly26th Middlesex1/17/2025 1 of 4
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3883 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3466
By Representative Connolly of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3466) of
Mike Connolly for legislation to establish a task force (including members of the General Court)
to study and make actionable recommendations regarding public ownership of public utilities.
Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3679 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act facilitating public ownership of public utilities.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. (a) There shall be a task force to study and make actionable
2recommendations to the general court for public ownership of (i) natural gas making,
3distribution, supply, purchase and sale and (ii) electricity generation and distribution to
4commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout the commonwealth. The task force
5shall be comprised of the following members or their designees: the house and senate chairs of
6the committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy; the house and senate chairs of the
7committee on municipalities and regional government; the attorney general; the president of the
8Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, Inc.; the president of the Environmental League
9of Massachusetts, Inc.; the executive director of the Better Future Project; the chair of the
10Executive Committee for the Massachusetts chapter of the Sierra Club; 1 representative of the 2 of 4
11International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers appointed from each of the following local
12unions located in the commonwealth: Boston (LU 103), Brockton (LU 223), Springfield (LU 7)
13and Worcester (LU 96) and a representative from IBEW Local Union 99, who is a resident of the
14commonwealth; 1 representative of the United Steel Workers appointed from each local of USW
15District 4 in the commonwealth, including 1 representative of United Steel Workers Local 12003
16and 1 representative of United Steel Workers 12012-04, the chair of the board of the
17Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company, 4 representatives from Environmental
18Justice focused organization with geographic diversity across the Commonwealth. The task force
19shall consult with other individuals who have relevant expertise as needed.
20 (b) The task force shall study and make recommendations on the following:
21 (i) state-wide state, municipal or cooperative ownership of (1) natural gas making,
22distribution, supply, purchase and sale, and transition to renewables and (2) electricity generation
23and distribution to commercial, industrial and residential customers in cities, suburban regions
24and rural areas. The task force shall also study and investigate the state of Nebraska’s
25“Neighbor’s First” model of public ownership by municipal utilities, electric cooperatives or
26public power districts;
27 (ii) the performance of private utilities versus publicly owned utilities;
28 (iii) the governance structure of public ownership of (1) natural gas making, distribution,
29supply, purchase and sale and (2) electricity generation and distribution to commercial, industrial
30and residential customers throughout the commonwealth, including but not limited to:
31 (a) cost of infrastructure, including development of construction projects that benefit the
32state as a whole but are too big or too expensive for any 1 municipal or regional entity, such as, 3 of 4
33geothermal power plants, offshore wind farms or “pumped storage” hydropower facilities that
34can bank electricity from solar or wind farms; the handling of so called “stranded assets” for
35example, the cost of gas distribution assets that will not be fully depreciated and financed before
36they are retired under current ownership;
37 (b) cost savings, and fair and equitable rates for all consumers;
38 (c) access to low cost debt;
39 (d) ability to facilitate rapid transition to net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 and 100 per
40cent renewable energy by 2040
41 (e) access to new technology;
42 (f) productivity;
43 (g) union participation;
44 (h) service to large cities suburban regions, densely populated rural areas and sparsely
45populated rural areas;
46 (i) profits from publicly owned utilities that can be made available for cross subsidization
47for other public services, such as public transportation; and
48 (iv) the commonwealth as a shareholder of privately owned electric companies and gas
49companies.
50 (v) coordination of the use of current and future electric and gas infrastructure within the
51commonwealth, including replacement of gas distribution infrastructure and end uses with
52electric generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure and end uses. 4 of 4
53 SECTION 2. (a) The task force shall meet not less than monthly. The task force shall
54recommend to the general court acceptable policy terms for the public ownership of (i) natural
55gas making, distribution, supply, purchase and sale and (ii) electricity generation and distribution
56to commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout the commonwealth by the year
572028. That report, along with a joint petition shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and house
58of representatives the title of which is as follows: "An act approving the recommendations of the
59task force of public ownership of (i) natural gas making, distribution, supply, purchase and sale
60and (ii) electricity generation and distribution to commercial, industrial and residential customers
61throughout the commonwealth " shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and house of
62representatives, the chairs of the house and senate committee on telecommunications, utilities
63and energy and the house and senate chairs of the committee on municipalities and regional
64government on or before January 1, 2027.
65 SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage.