On April 5, 2012, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed a bill that aims to curb rising energy costs and expand renewable energy development. Senate Bill (SB) 2214, a bill “Relative to Competitively Priced Electricity in the Commonwealth,” would alter existing requirements and incentives under the Green Communities Act (GCA) and other areas of state energy law. These amendments primarily impact the long-term contracting requirements of electric distribution companies for the purchase renewable energy, the net metering eligibility and tax treatment of energy generation facilities, and the treatment of hydroelectric and anaerobic digestion technologies under existing programs. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Here, we summarize the Senate’s most significant alterations to the requirements and opportunities for renewable energy development in Massachusetts.
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