Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S2297 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1986 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2297
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Paul W. Mark
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 fair and stable utility pricing.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Paul W. MarkBerkshire, Hampden, Franklin and
16	16	Hampshire
17	17	Steven George Xiarhos5th Barnstable2/3/2025 1 of 4
18	18	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1986 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
19	19	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2297
20	20	By Mr. Mark, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2297) of Paul W. Mark and Steven
21	21	George Xiarhos for legislation relative to fair and stable utility pricing. Telecommunications,
22	22	Utilities and Energy.
23	23	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
24	24	SEE SENATE, NO. 2149 OF 2023-2024.]
25	25	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
26	26	_______________
27	27	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
28	28	(2025-2026)
29	29	_______________
30	30	An Act relative to fair and stable utility pricing.
31	31	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
32	32	of the same, as follows:
33	33	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 164 of the General Laws is hereby amended in section 1B by
34	34	2striking subsection (e) and replacing it with the following:-
35	35	3 (e) As of March 1, 2026 the total, average rates for all of the distribution company’s
36	36	4customers purchasing electricity under said standard service transition rate, shall be subject to an
37	37	5inflation cap that shall not exceed the annual rate of growth, stated as a percentage, of the
38	38	6Consumer Price Index as reported by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics for the
39	39	7preceding year. The implementation of the rate reduction and inflation cap shall be reviewed,
40	40	8approved, and enforced in accordance with procedures in the rules and regulations promulgated
41	41	9by the department, which shall require that, the economic value of the rate reduction required
42	42	10under this section, be maintained during the standard service transition rate period. 2 of 4
43	43	11 SECTION 2. Chapter 164 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
44	44	12section 1B the following section:-
45	45	13 Section 1B½. (a) For the purposes of this section, the term rate increase shall mean any
46	46	14upward adjustment to any rates or charges of any ancillary service, basic service, cogeneration,
47	47	15default service, distributed generation, distribution, electric service, generation, generation
48	48	16service or transmission by an electric company to either a distribution company or a retail
49	49	17customer.
50	50	18 Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, an electric company shall not
51	51	19institute a rate increase or other change in its rates, charges or retail access except upon approval
52	52	20by the department and after 60 days’ notice to the department and to the public published
53	53	21pursuant to this section, which shall plainly state the changes proposed to be made to the
54	54	22schedule then in force, and the time when the changed rates or charges will go into effect.
55	55	23Whenever the department receives notice of any rate increase to be made by an electric
56	56	24company, the department shall first hold a public hearing and make investigation as to the
57	57	25propriety of the proposed change or changes. After notice of any investigation, the department
58	58	26shall have power to suspend the taking effect of the change or changes, pending the decision of
59	59	27the department. Each hearing and investigation shall be conducted as expeditiously as may be
60	60	28practicable and with a minimum of delay.
61	61	29 Within 90 days after the completion of the last hearing, the department shall make such
62	62	30order in reference to any proposed rate increase as may be proper; provided, that if the
63	63	31department makes an upward adjustment to any current or prior rates or charges by an electric
64	64	32company, the department shall periodically hold a public hearing and make investigation as to 3 of 4
65	65	33the continued propriety of such rates charged by an electric company and shall make such order
66	66	34in reference to the rate or charge as may be just, which may include decreasing the rate or
67	67	35charge.
68	68	36 (b) Upon receipt from an electric company of a notice of any rate increase proposed to be
69	69	37made pursuant to subsection (a), the department shall give notice as it may prescribe of the
70	70	38pendency of the proposal and of the time and place of the hearing thereon to the chief executive
71	71	39officer of any city or town containing a retail customer affected by such proposed rate increase.
72	72	40The department shall also publish a notice of the hearing at least 10 days prior to the date thereof
73	73	41in a newspaper of general circulation in each such city or town. The department, upon request of
74	74	42the chief executive officer of any such city or town, shall hold a public hearing on the matter
75	75	43within each such town or city; provided; however, that the requesting city or town shall provide
76	76	44suitable accommodation for the public hearing.
77	77	45 SECTION 3. Chapter 164 of the General Laws is hereby amended in section 1E by
78	78	46striking subsection (a) and replacing it with the following:-
79	79	47 The department is hereby authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to establish and
80	80	48require performance based rates for each distribution, transmission, and gas company organized
81	81	49and doing business in the Commonwealth pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. In
82	82	50promulgating such performance based rate schemes, the department shall establish service
83	83	51quality standards for each distribution, transmission, and gas company, including, but not limited
84	84	52to, standards for customer service satisfaction service outages, distribution facility upgrades,
85	85	53repairs and maintenance, telephone service, billing service, and public safety, and that such
86	86	54service quality standards shall include benchmarks for employee staff levels and employee 4 of 4
87	87	55training programs for each distribution, transmission, and gas company, provided, however, that
88	88	56the cost of advertising, promotional marketing, and charitable contributions and activities shall
89	89	57not be counted towards the basis of rates.