The Massachusetts House released its redesign of a climate omnibus bill (H.4744). The bill contains provisions recommended by advocacy groups, including Vote for solar energyThat would make the electricity grid more resilient and affordable, but it still calls for dramatic cuts to the Commonwealth’s flagship energy efficiency program. While many of the solar provisions in the bill will help meet Massachusetts’ climate goals, the bill misses an opportunity to rein in costs by reducing spending on fossil fuels and utilities, Vote Solar officials say. Instead, the bill cuts Mass Save by $1 billion, focusing on a short-sighted cut rather than a long-term solution to address energy affordability.
File photo of a Navisun solar project in Massachusetts with pollinator-friendly ground cover.
Originally released in November last yearbill H.4744 included meaningful progress on solar energy that was overshadowed by provisions that would raise energy costs and increase dependence on fossil fuels. Since November, organizations have been working with lawmakers to present a path forward that could transform the bill into one that focuses on true energy affordability so that all communities can enjoy its benefits. The bill includes many progressive measures to promote local solar energy and work towards a distributed, resilient and affordable network; however, it excludes solutions that address the real costs of rising energy bills.
“As extreme weather leaves thousands of people in limbo and increases energy costs, we need long-term solutions that guarantee an affordable, clean energy future that benefits all residents – regardless of income,” said Lindsay Griffin, Northeast Regional Director of Vote Solar. “This bill is a starting point for expanding local solar energy, which promotes resiliency and affordability, but it misses a critical part of the solution, holding utilities accountable for prioritizing their profits over the communities they serve.”
The rewritten bill includes provisions that modernize solar deployment and grid participation across the state by streamlining permitting, improving interconnection, expanding municipal net metering and promoting virtual power plants. Smart Solar Permitting would accelerate deployment and reduce soft costs by adopting an immediate permitting framework already used in more than 150 places. The bill also introduces flexible interconnection to prevent small projects from being delayed in queues dominated by larger projects. The legislation also improves municipal net metering by increasing municipal capacity to 20 MW, bringing solar energy online at schools and government buildings. Additionally, the bill mandates comprehensive virtual power plant (VPP) planning within existing regulatory processes, allowing solar and storage homes and businesses to pool resources and support the electric grid during periods of high demand, while delivering greater benefits to ratepayers.
“We appreciate House leadership’s focus on facilitating local solar deployment by including provisions that would help achieve Massachusetts’ climate goals. But we were disappointed to see Mass Save – a program that has been critical to supporting families across the state – being unfairly scapegoated,” said Elena Weissmann, Northeast Regional Director of Vote Solar. “We hope that lawmakers will refocus their efforts on controlling utility costs and gas infrastructure buildout, rather than on an efficiency program that saves us all money.”
News item from Vote Solar
