Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3541 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. 3057 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3541
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 for greenhouse gas measuring and accounting truth.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Steven Owens29th Middlesex1/16/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3057 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3541
18	18	By Representative Owens of Watertown, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3541) of
19	19	Steven Owens relative to carbon dioxide equivalents and factors that impact statewide
20	20	greenhouse gas emissions. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 873 OF 2023-2024.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act for greenhouse gas measuring and accounting truth.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 21N of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
32	32	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the definition of “Statewide greenhouse gas
33	33	3emissions” and inserting in place thereof the following definition:-
34	34	4 ''Statewide greenhouse gas emissions'', the total annual emissions of greenhouse gasses in
35	35	5the commonwealth, including all emissions of greenhouse gasses from the generation of
36	36	6electricity and the distribution and use of gas delivered to and consumed in the commonwealth,
37	37	7accounting for electric transmission and distribution line losses, and accounting for losses of gas
38	38	8in the commonwealth in transmission, storage, distribution, and use by consumers, whether the
39	39	9electricity is generated or the gas is produced in the commonwealth or imported; provided, 2 of 3
40	40	10however, that statewide greenhouse gas emissions shall be expressed in tons of carbon dioxide
41	41	11equivalents for both a timeframe of 20 years and for a timeframe of 100 years.
42	42	12 SECTION 2. Section 2 of said chapter 21N is hereby amended by striking out subsection
43	43	13(c) and inserting in place thereof the following:-
44	44	14
45	45	15 (c) The department shall annually publish a state greenhouse gas emissions inventory that
46	46	16includes comprehensive estimates and measurements as available of the quantity of greenhouse
47	47	17gas emitted in the commonwealth for the last years in which data is available; provided, (i) that
48	48	18the inventory shall use a timeframe of 20 years to calculate the global warming impact of short-
49	49	19acting greenhouse gasses and a timeframe of 100 years to calculate the global warming impact of
50	50	20long-acting greenhouse gasses; and (ii) that updated emissions factors, carbon dioxide
51	51	21equivalencies, and accounting methods shall be applied retroactively to 1990. If such updates
52	52	22are not consistent with federal and other reporting requirements, the department shall report two
53	53	23statewide greenhouse gas emissions results side-by-side: (i) the results of the updated method
54	54	24using data specific to the commonwealth and the best available science and data including
55	55	25separation of short-acting and long-acting greenhouse gasses, and (ii) the results of the alternate
56	56	26accounting method required by federal or other entities.
57	57	27 SECTION 3: Said Chapter 21N is hereby amended by adding the following section:-
58	58	28
59	59	29 Section 13. The department shall require ongoing monitoring of greenhouse gas
60	60	30emissions in the commonwealth using (i) statistically significant sampling methods and 3 of 3
61	61	31locations; (ii) continuous or near continuous direct measurements of atmospheric greenhouse gas
62	62	32emissions with significant environmental impact, including but not limited to carbon dioxide,
63	63	33methane, nitrous oxide and hydrofluorocarbons; and (iii) the best available scientific
64	64	34methodology. Such monitoring shall be conducted by a qualified independent contractor chosen
65	65	35jointly by the department and the secretary. Emissions data collected shall be: (i) publicly
66	66	36available for research; (ii) compared annually to the emissions data in the greenhouse gas
67	67	37emissions inventory established pursuant to section 2(c) of this chapter; and (iii) analyzed to
68	68	38evaluate the source of any significant difference between emissions data collected under this
69	69	39section and emissions data reported under section 2(c).The department shall report such analysis
70	70	40with the statewide greenhouse gas emissions inventory.