The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed it H.4876, a critical piece of legislation that addresses key challenges facing the Commonwealth’s solar and storage industries. The bill includes provisions to encourage the deployment of new solar and storage, streamline siting and permitting processes at the state and local level, and address project interconnection challenges.
The bill now heads to the conference committee where members of the House and Senate will work to finalize a compromise bill.
Below is a statement from Valessa Souter-Kline, Northeast Regional Director of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA):
“The solar and storage industry is pleased to see lawmakers continue to enact common-sense reforms to strengthen the Commonwealth’s position as a national leader in clean energy. House Bill 4876 will accelerate the buildout of solar and energy storage technology and address the permitting and interconnection red tape that is holding back the solar and storage market in Massachusetts.
“The reforms include time limits on permitting decisions, a streamlined appeals process and a more predictable interconnection that will provide critical certainty for solar and storage companies. The bill also calls for new purchases of 5 GWh of energy storage, and we look forward to further details on this provision. Massachusetts’ solar and storage industry has been outpaced by its regional neighbors in recent years, but these reforms are the spark the market needs to realize the Commonwealth’s bold clean energy vision.
“It’s time for Massachusetts to regain its place in the top ten of the solar and storage market. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) looks forward to working with the House and Senate to finalize the bill and quickly send it to Governor Healey for his signature.”
News item from SEIA
