Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3540 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1885 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3540
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Steven Owens
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act advancing clean energy equity.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Steven Owens29th Middlesex1/15/2025Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/21/2025Amy Mah Sangiolo11th Middlesex1/21/2025Paul McMurtry11th Norfolk1/23/2025Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester2/7/2025Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk2/11/2025Margaret R. Scarsdale1st Middlesex2/13/2025Christopher Richard Flanagan1st Barnstable2/13/2025Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex2/14/2025Danillo A. Sena37th Middlesex3/10/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1885 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3540
18	18	By Representative Owens of Watertown, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3540) of
19	19	Steven Owens and others relative to advancing clean energy equity. Telecommunications,
20	20	Utilities and Energy.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
24	24	(2025-2026)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act advancing clean energy equity.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. Section 29 of chapter 21A of the General Laws, as amended by chapter 239
30	30	2of the acts of 2024, is hereby amended by adding the following two paragraphs:
31	31	3
32	32	4 The undersecretary of environmental justice and equity shall have oversight of ensuring
33	33	5an equitable allocation of the benefits of clean energy spending across the Commonwealth, and
34	34	6that such allocation is proportional to the percentage of the population residing in (1)
35	35	7environmental justice populations as defined in section 62 of chapter 30 or (2) any low-income
36	36	8communities designated by the undersecretary for inclusion based on previously developed
37	37	9criteria. The undersecretary, in consultation with a defined working group of environmental
38	38	10justice stakeholders, shall set compliance goals and issue compliance reports on the same
39	39	11schedule for emission limits required under section 4(g) of chapter 21N for delivery of clean
40	40	12energy benefits to environmental justice communities. 2 of 3
41	41	13
42	42	14 The undersecretary shall consult with the environmental justice council as established
43	43	15under section 62L of chapter 30 and any other stakeholders the undersecretary finds appropriate,
44	44	16including additional representatives from environmental justice communities, local governments,
45	45	17clean energy advocates, and public health experts, to develop, review, and update a definition of
46	46	18clean energy benefits. This definition shall account for the net impact of burdens and shall also
47	47	19include consideration of spending and benefits from state clean energy programs, pollution
48	48	20reduction, transportation, economic development, and energy cost reduction. The undersecretary
49	49	21shall be responsible for developing a framework for tracking and monitoring allocation of clean
50	50	22energy benefits across the commonwealth. The undersecretary shall work with the secretary to
51	51	23ensure alignment with these definitions and the framework for social benefits and burdens in
52	52	24section 30. The undersecretary shall coordinate with any agencies overseeing clean energy
53	53	25programs to incorporate these definitions and the framework into the program reviews which
54	54	26they are directed to undertake to monitor and evaluate clean energy programs. All clean energy
55	55	27program reviews beginning on January 1 of the year following the undersecretary’s creation of
56	56	28the definition and framework shall detail the amount and allocation of said benefits, and identify
57	57	29any barriers to participation as well as any measures to reduce said barriers, including but not
58	58	30limited to community organization partnerships, streamlined application processes, multilingual
59	59	31options, and no-cost or low cost financing.The level of benefits shall be reviewed and updated
60	60	32every 5 years beginning in 2025. The undersecretary may adopt regulations as deemed necessary
61	61	33for implementation of this section and shall consult with the energy efficiency advisory council
62	62	34as established under section 22 of chapter 25 and the grid modernization advisory council as
63	63	35established under section 92C of chapter 164 to ensure alignment of the definition of benefits 3 of 3
64	64	36and to develop comprehensive guidelines across all programs to address specific challenges for
65	65	37rental properties including but not limited to protections against rent increases or other
66	66	38detrimental impacts after clean energy resources are installed in the property.
67	67	39
68	68	40 SECTION 2. The first stakeholder group meeting required under section 1 shall occur not
69	69	41later than January 1, 2026.