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