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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2664 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3499
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Danielle W. Gregoire
_________________
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 to promote low-income access to solar.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Danielle W. Gregoire4th Middlesex1/16/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2664 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3499
By Representative Gregoire of Marlborough, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3499)
of Danielle W. Gregoire that the Department of Energy Resources ensure equity, accessibility,
and promote participation by renters and low-income retail electric customers in the solar
incentive program. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3170 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act to promote low-income access to solar.
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 164 is hereby amended by adding the following section:
2 Section 149.
3 Section 1.
4 (a)The department of energy resources shall ensure equity, accessibility, and
5promote participation by renters and low-income retail electric customers in the solar incentive
6program established in section 11 of chapter 75 of the acts of 2016, and in any successor solar
7incentive program, by implementing a low-income customer verification process in which low
8income customers shall be persons whose income is at or below 80 percent of the area median 2 of 3
9income or 200 percent of the federal poverty level or is a small business, who are, for the
10purposes of this section defined as business entities, including their affiliates that are (i)
11independently owned and operated; and (ii) are defined as a “small business” under applicable
12federal law, as established in the United States Code and promulgated from time to time by the
13United States Small Business Administration.
14 (b)A low-income multi-unit building that meets the definition under M.G.L. c. 40B,
15§ 20 or otherwise receives tax credits under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
16Development Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program shall qualify as one Low Income
17Customer.
18 (c)In the implementation of the program, the department shall:
19 (i)Require income data verification to determine eligibility for low-income
20customers. Proof of eligibility required for low-income customers shall include one or more than
21one of the following: proof of participation in a low income discount program including
22Medicaid; Supplemental Security Income; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; Women,
23Infants, and Children Nutrition Program; Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program;
24Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or food stamps; Head Start; National School Lunch
25Program; Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children; School Breakfast Program;
26Public Housing; Transitional Aide to Families with Dependent Children; Veterans’ Service
27Benefits established in Chapter 115 of the Massachusetts General Laws; Veterans Dependency
28and Indemnity Compensation Surviving Parent or Spouse; Veterans Non-Service Disability
29Pension; Fuel Assistance; or proof that the residential Low-income Customer lives in or is a
30business entity located in a Census block group where the median household income is at or 3 of 3
31below 200 percent of the U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines or 80 percent of the area median gross
32income published by the United States Census Bureau, whichever is greater; by living in or
33owning a low-income multi-unit building, including those that are master-metered; or proof of
34income of the account holder including pay stubs or form W-2; or any verification method
35authorized by the U.S. Department of Treasury for qualified low-income economic benefit
36projects Investment Tax Credit (ITC) adder under United States Public Law 117-169 Section
3713103(2)(C);
38 (ii)prohibit credit checks as a means of establishing eligibility for residential
39customers to become a subscriber;
40 (iii) prohibit the use of early termination and exit fees for residential customers;
41 (iv)require distribution companies generating an alternative form of on-bill credits as
42approved by the department of public utilities from distributed solar generation facilities to
43accept and implement no less frequently than once per month any changes to the identities of
44designated recipients and amount of credits to be attributed to such recipients, as provided by the
45owner of the solar distributed generation facility; and
46 (v)exempt low-income multi-unit building owners from bill credit maximums and
47subscriber count minimums for the host project.
48 Section 2. The department shall promulgate regulations to implement this section within
49180 days.