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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3529 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3526
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Paul McMurtry
_________________
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 large-scale solar energy installations on agricultural or recreational land of the
Commonwealth.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Paul McMurtry11th Norfolk1/17/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3529 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3526
By Representative McMurtry of Dedham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3526) of
Paul McMurtry relative to large-scale solar energy installations on agricultural or recreational
land of the Commonwealth. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3190 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 large-scale solar energy installations on agricultural or recreational land of the
Commonwealth.
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 25A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-
2 Section 18. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following words shall, unless the
3context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-
4 “Agricultural land”, land owned by the commonwealth or any state agency or
5instrumentality of the commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof, including a local
6governmental body, and utilized for an active or passive agricultural use or horticultural use.
7 “Large-scale solar energy installation”, a ground-mounted solar energy system or solar
8photovoltaic system installation that occupies more than 5 acres of total surface area. 2 of 2
9 “Recreational land”, land owned by the commonwealth or state agency or instrumentality
10of the commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof, including a local governmental body,
11and utilized for an active or passive recreational use including, but not limited to, the use of land
12for community gardens, trails and noncommercial youth and adult sports, and the use of land as a
13park, playground or athletic field.
14 “Solar energy system”, a device or structural design feature, a substantial purpose of
15which is to provide daylight for interior lighting or provide for the collection, storage and
16distribution of solar energy for space heating or cooling, electricity generation or water heating.
17 “Solar photovoltaic system”, an active solar energy system that converts solar energy
18directly into electricity.
19 (b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, no large-scale solar
20energy installation shall be installed on agricultural land or recreational land unless the
21commissioner certifies that land of like kind and quantity will be dedicated to use as agricultural
22land or recreational land. The commissioner shall record the certification in the registry of deeds
23not less than 30 days prior to the installation of the large-scale solar energy installation. The
24certification shall identify the parcel to be on which large-scale solar energy installation will be
25installed and the parcel to be dedicated to agricultural land or recreational land.