Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3565 Compare Versions

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

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2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2527 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3565
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Amy Mah Sangiolo
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 relative to Mass Save assessments.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Amy Mah Sangiolo11th Middlesex1/16/2025Michael D. BradySecond Plymouth and Norfolk1/28/2025Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth1/28/2025 1 of 5
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2527 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3565
18	18	By Representative Sangiolo of Newton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3565) of
19	19	Amy Mah Sangiolo, Michael D. Brady and Patrick Joseph Kearney relative to Mass Save
20	20	assessments. Telecommunications, 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 relative to Mass Save assessments.
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 Amend Chapter 25 by adding a new subsection (g)
30	30	2 Said section 21 of said chapter 25, as amended by chapter 179 of the Acts of 2022, is
31	31	3hereby further amended by inserting at the end thereof the following:-
32	32	4 SECTION 1. Section 21 of chapter 25 …, as amended by chapter 179 of the Acts of
33	33	52022, is hereby amended by adding the following subsections:
34	34	6 (h) The administrators of the programs established pursuant to section 19 of this chapter
35	35	7shall (i) offer to a customer at no cost a zero-carbon assessment of such customer’s building,
36	36	8including a heat load calculation, that identifies measures that a customer must take to heat or
37	37	9cool such building without the use of combustible fuels and (ii) identify rebates and incentives
38	38	10available under such programs to assist a customer in implementing measures identified by such
39	39	11assessment. Measures identified in a zero-carbon assessment may include, but shall not be
40	40	12limited to: improving building shell insulation; air sealing; air duct sealing; improving air 2 of 5
41	41	13exchange and indoor air quality; upgrading windows, doors, and cladding systems; electric
42	42	14wiring and service upgrades; on site solar generation; electrical or thermal storage; electric peak
43	43	15load management equipment and software; and replacing fossil fuel appliances and equipment
44	44	16with electric or otherwise non-combusting appliances and equipment. A zero-carbon assessment
45	45	17shall include a safety evaluation including a combustion safety test of existing fossil fuel
46	46	18appliances, an instrumented test for ambient gas and particularly for gas leaks at the gas meter,
47	47	19and a test of existing carbon monoxide alarms. A customer whose building has undergone a zero-
48	48	20carbon assessment shall be provided with a zero-carbon report that identifies for each measure
49	49	21that reduces emissions additional benefits including, but not limited to: (i) improvements in
50	50	22comfort, safety, and health, including indoor air quality; (ii) cost savings; and (iii) any other
51	51	23information the program administrators determine to be necessary to include. The zero-carbon
52	52	24report shall include at least one scenario incorporating a combination of efficiency measures,
53	53	25replacement of gas appliances with non-emitting appliances, on site solar energy and electrical
54	54	26storage which takes advantage of available promotional electric rates, income eligible electric
55	55	27rates and utility offerings for off peak and peak avoiding incentives to reduce projected client
56	56	28energy expenditures. The Massachusetts energy technology center shall develop the zero-carbon
57	57	29assessment and the zero-carbon report in consultation with the program administrators and the
58	58	30energy efficiency advisory council established pursuant to section 22 of this chapter. The
59	59	31commonwealth shall retain rights to the use of the zero-carbon assessment, the zero-carbon
60	60	32report, and any associated data and software for use by Mass Save or any successor organization.
61	61	33The zero-carbon assessment shall be the standard assessment service available to all customers
62	62	34receiving services provided pursuant to this section. 3 of 5
63	63	35 SECTION 2. Section 21 of chapter 25 of the General Laws, as amended by chapter 179
64	64	36of the Acts of 2022, is hereby amended, in clause (xiv) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b) by
65	65	37striking out “, delineated by utility and sector, including residential, residential low-income,
66	66	38commercial and industrial” and inserting in place thereof the following:-
67	67	39 "; provided, that the data collected pursuant to subclauses (A), (B), and (C) shall be
68	68	40delineated by utility and sector, including residential, residential low-income, commercial and
69	69	41industrial, and zip code”
70	70	42 SECTION 3. Said section 21 of said chapter 25, as amended by chapter 179 of the Acts
71	71	43of 2022, is hereby further amended by inserting at the end thereof the following:-
72	72	44 "(h) The electric distribution companies, municipal aggregators with certified efficiency
73	73	45plans, and the natural gas distribution companies shall no later than March 31 of each year
74	74	46provide to the department the data that is collected pursuant to clause (xiv) of paragraph (2) of
75	75	47subsection
76	76	48 (b) of this section during the previous calendar year. The department shall publish such
77	77	49data on the website of the energy efficiency advisory council no later than April 30 of each
78	78	50year."
79	79	51 (i) The administrators of the programs established pursuant to section 19 of this chapter
80	80	52shall establish criteria to determine qualifications of contractors approved to install
81	81	53recommendations of the zero-carbon assessment authorized pursuant to subsection (h) of this
82	82	54section, including mitigation and remediation of barriers identified in such zero-carbon
83	83	55assessment. Such contractors approved to install such recommendations shall agree (i) to meet
84	84	56program and industry standards; (ii) to warrant their work for at least 12 months after completion 4 of 5
85	85	57of their work; (iii) to undergo quality assurance assessments of their work; and (iv) to require
86	86	58their employees and subcontractors to participate in periodic training programs and to adhere to
87	87	59program goals and standards as determined by such program administrators. In assembling lists
88	88	60of contractors approved to install recommendations of such zero-carbon assessments, such
89	89	61program administrators shall award preference to qualified businesses owned by women or by
90	90	62minorities …. [cite to statute defining those] and to qualified businesses located in or serving
91	91	63environmental justice communities [cite to statute defining those]. Such program administrators
92	92	64shall whenever feasible procure cost savings for customers through purchases in bulk of
93	93	65appliances and other equipment necessary for decarbonization of buildings.
94	94	66 (j) Such program administrators shall develop (i) consulting programs to advise building
95	95	67owners undertaking projects to replace fossil fuel appliances and equipment with electric or
96	96	68otherwise non-combusting appliances and to upgrade and retrofit buildings as proposed in a zero
97	97	69carbon report; and (ii) training programs for participating staff, contractors, and volunteers that
98	98	70cover program procedures, costs and benefits of electrification of buildings, incentives available
99	99	71by electrification of buildings.
100	100	72 (k) Such program administrators shall report annually no later than March 31 on results
101	101	73achieved by the programs established pursuant to this section to the governor and to the clerks of
102	102	74the house of representatives and the senate, who shall forward such reports to the president of the
103	103	75senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the chairs of the joint committee on
104	104	76telecommunications, utilities, and energy.
105	105	77 (l) The department shall within 12 months of the effective date of this section promulgate
106	106	78such rules and regulations as are necessary to administer the requirements of this section. 5 of 5
107	107	79 SECTION __. Section 1 shall take effect upon its passage and shall apply to energy
108	108	80efficiency plans beginning with the plan that covers the years 2025 to 2027.