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