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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3121 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3469
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Mark J. Cusack
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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 relative to solar permitting.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Mark J. Cusack5th Norfolk1/16/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3121 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3469
By Representative Cusack of Braintree, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3469) of
Mark J. Cusack relative to solar energy storage permit applications and inspections.
Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3683 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 relative to solar permitting.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 40 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition,
2 is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following sections:-
3 Section 70. Approval for Solar and Energy Storage Permit Applications
4 (a) The Permit Granting Authority shall allow for electronic submission of the permit
5application and associated documentation for the installation of a solar PV system, solar thermal
6system, building-integrated PV system, energy storage device, or a solar system combined with
7an energy storage device. All required permitting documentation and forms shall be published on
8the Permit Granting Authority’s publicly accessible internet website. The Permit Granting
9Authority shall authorize an electronic signature for the permit application and other 2 of 3
10documentation in lieu of a wet signature by an applicant. Electronic submission, including online
11payment of associated permitting fees, shall be offered through either an online portal available
12on the website of the Permit Granting Authority or via electronic mail to a dedicated account that
13shall be capable of receiving permit applications.
14 (b) Upon submission of required permit application documents, the application shall be
15deemed complete if, after five business days have elapsed, the Permit Granting Authority has not
16issued a written correction notice detailing all deficiencies in the application and identifying
17additional information explicitly necessary for the Permit Granting Authority to complete a
18review.
19 (c) An application shall be deemed approved and the applicant may begin installation if
20ten business days after the application was deemed complete has elapsed and the following are
21true:
22 (i) the Permit Granting Authority has not administratively approved the application.
23 (ii) the Permit Granting Authority has not denied the permit.
24 (d) A Permit Granting Authority may use an automated permitting platform that verifies
25code compliance and issues permits in real time to satisfy the requirements of subdivisions (a),
26(b), and (c). An applicant may begin installation after the issuance of a permit from such an
27automated permitting platform.
28 Section 71. Solar and Energy Storage Inspections
29 (a) Applicant shall notify the Permit Granting Authority upon completion of system
30installation. Permit Granting Authorities shall require no more than one inspection for a solar PV 3 of 3
31system, building-integrated PV system, solar thermal system, energy storage device, or the solar
32system combined with an energy storage device in order for the system or device to receive a
33certificate of completion. The Permit Granting Authority shall issue a certificate of completion
34no later than 10 business days following the receipt of notice from the applicant that the system,
35device, or combined system and device, is installed.
36 (b) An electric distribution company shall not require additional inspections by the
37electric distribution company or any other entity as a precondition to granting the customer
38permission to operate.