Section Whats the topic? Summary

SECTION 1. Climate Protection and Green Economy Act – Definitions Expands the definition of “Market-based compliance mechanism” to include any pricing or compliance measures imposed on sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

SECTION 2. Regulations for reporting and verifying statewide greenhouse gas emissions Clarifies that DEP is required to monitor and regulate emissions for the purpose of meeting the proposed emissions targets.

SECTION 3. Projected Greenhouse Gas Emissions Levels and Adoption of Limits Directs the secretary of energy and environmental affairs to adopt an increased number of emissions targets, culminating in a target of net-zero emissions by 2050 as the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit; down from the previous 2050 target of 80% below 1990 levels.

SECTION 4. Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Sublimits Directs the secretary of environmental affairs to adopt sector-based statewide greenhouse gas emissions sublimits as part of the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit; subjects such sublimits to the statewide limit in the listed areas; bans any sublimit from exceeding statewide limits for the year; requires designing such limits to allow the commonwealth to reach the 2050 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit.

SECTION 4.1 Energy Efficiency and Natural Gas Efficiency Investment Plans – Carbon Dioxide Equivalent Goals Requires the secretary of environmental affairs to set a goal in tons of carbon dioxide equivalents for energy efficiency investment plans developed by electric distribution companies and natural gas efficiency investment plans developed by natural gas companies by February 1 of each third year.

SECTION 5. Adoption of Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Requires the 2030 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit to be at least 50 percent below the 1990 emissions level; requires the 2040 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit to be at least 75 percent below the 1990 emissions level.

SECTION 6. Adoption of Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Technical amendment accounting for the extention of the timeframe for meeting statewide greenhouse gas emission limits, and requiring the 2020, 2025, 2030, 2035, 2040, 2045 and 2050 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit to comply with standards for their implementation.

SECTION 7. Adoption of Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Technical amendment changing reference to the enabling legislation for statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits. (Section 3)

SECTION 8. Adoption of Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Technical amendment accounting for the extention of the timeframe for meeting statewide greenhouse gas emission limits, and requiring the 2025, 2030, 2035, 2040, 2045 and 2050 statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit to comply with standards for their implementation.

SECTION 9. Adoption of Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Requires the secretary of energy and environmental affairs to file a certificate of compliance with the climate policy commission and the legislature 18 months after an emissions target date is reached, certifying whether or not the emissions targets were successfully met; requires the certificate to contain specific steps to offset emissions if the state fails to meet its emissions targets.

SECTION 10.1 Report of implementation of regulations relative to climate change Amends the standards by which the secretary of environmental affairs must monitor plans and regulations relative to climate change; requires plans submitted to meet 2025, 2030, 2035, 2040, and 2045 benchmarks to be consistent with one another, cumulative in their effect and implemented to meet the 2050 limit; details specific areas for review, including sector specific reviews, quantification of emissions reductions, numerical benchmarks, impacts on low and moderate income communities and reduction permanence.

SECTION 10.2 Promulgation of regulations that reduce energy use, increase efficiency and encourage renewable sources of energy Directs the secretary of environmental affairs to promulgate all regulations necessary to achieve the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits and sector specific sub-limits; requires the regulations to address equity issues and to protect, and if possible improve, the condition of low-income and moderate-income persons; sets additional goals of employment creation and economic development.

SECTION 10.3 Market-place compliance mechanisms Directs the secretary of environmental affairs to promulgate regulations establishing market-based compliance mechanisms for the transportation sector, the commercial, industrial and institutional sector and the residential sector; repeals language requiring consultation with the executive office of administration and finance; requires transportation standards to reduce emissions from passenger vehicles and light duty trucks; requires the mechanisms to maximize the ability to meet statewide greenhouse gas emission limits, ensure equity in reaching such limits and identify manufacturing sectors, economic sectors, economic subsectors or individual employers at risk of adverse impacts; authorizes the secretary to promulgate regulations to implement such mechanisms.

SECTION 11.1 Climate Policy Commission 1 Enacts a new chapter creating the Climate Policy Commission.

SECTION 11.2 Climate Policy Commission 2 Establishes the Climate Policy Commission and qualifications for membership; establishes the role of executive director and the process for their appointment; defines the executive director’s role and responsibilities.

SECTION 11.3 Climate Policy Commission 3 Defines the focus and responsibilities of the commission, including the requirement to meet with the gubernatorially appointed advisory council at least annually.

SECTION 11.4 Climate Policy Commission 4 Requires the commission to hold at least 3 hearings for each certification.

SECTION 11.5 Climate Policy Commission 5 Establishes a twice-yearly reporting requirement for the commission.

SECTION 11.6 Climate Policy Commission 6 Grants the commission access to any state documents the commission deems relevant; excludes any documents that are not otherwise public records from being public when stored by the commission.

SECTION 11.7 Climate Policy Commission 7 Establishes a gubernatorially appointed advisory council to the commission.

SECTION 12. Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust Fund Allows the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust Fund to fund the research, design, and evaluation of pilot programs designed to promote energy innovation.

SECTION 13. Clean Energy Technology Center Expands the scope of the Clean Energy Technology Center’s efforts to protect the environment and public health to include protecting against the adverse effects of the use of fossil fuels.

SECTION 14. Department of Public Utilities Requires the department of public utilities to use its regulatory powers to help meet the proposed emissions targets.

SECTION 15. Funding for energy efficiency programs Requires calculations used to determine whether electricity efficiency programs are delivered in a cost-effective manner to include calculations of the social value of greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

SECTION 16. Funding for energy efficiency programs Requires calculations used to determine whether gas efficiency programs are delivered in a cost-effective manner to include calculations of the social value of greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

SECTION 17. Funding for energy efficiency programs Requires calculations used to determine whether electric and gas efficiency programs are delivered in a cost-effective manner to include calculations of the social value of greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

SECTION 18. Energy and natural gas efficiency investment plans Requires calculations used to determine whether electric and natural gas resource needs can be met through resources that are cost effective or less expensive than preferred supply to include calculations of the social value of greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

SECTION 19. Energy and natural gas efficiency investment plans Requires calculations used to determine whether energy efficiency investment plans and natural gas efficiency investment plans provide for energy acquisition in a way that is cost effective or less expensive than preferred supply to include calculations of the social value of greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

SECTION 20. Energy and natural gas efficiency investment plans Requires calculations used to determine whether energy efficiency investment plans and natural gas efficiency investment plans provide for energy acquisition in a way that is cost effective or less expensive than preferred supply to include calculations of the social value of greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

SECTION 21. Energy and natural gas efficiency investment plans Requires assessments of the estimated costs, reliability and magnitude of cost effective or less expensive energy efficiency and demand reduction sources to include calculations of the social value of greenhouse gas emissions reductions

SECTION 22. Energy and natural gas efficiency investment plans Requires energy efficiency investment plans and natural gas efficiency investment plans to include an estimate of the social value of greenhouse gas emissions reductions that will result from the plan; requires the data to include a numerical value and be prominently displayed in plan communications and documents.

SECTION 23. Energy and natural gas efficiency investment plans Authorizes energy efficiency investment plans and natural gas efficiency plans to prioritize projects that provide substantial benefits in reducing greenhouse gas emissions; conditions prioritization on approval of the energy advisory board.

SECTION 24. Energy and natural gas efficiency investment plans Requires energy efficiency investment plans and natural gas efficiency investment plans to include calculations of the social value of greenhouse gas emissions reductions when determining whether a program obtains energy savings and other benefits in excess of program costs.

SECTION 25. Energy and natural gas efficiency investment plans Requires approval or rejection of energy efficiency investment plans and natural gas efficiency investment plans by the department of environmental affairs to account for the social value of greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

SECTION 26. Energy and natural gas efficiency investment plans Requires energy efficiency investment plans and natural gas efficiency investment plans shall be constructed to meet the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits set by the secretary of environmental affairs; directs the secretary to issue formal certificates of within 15 months of the final year of each plan; requires the certificates to quantifies the degree to which a plan contributed to meeting greenhouse gas emission limits.

SECTION 27. Energy efficiency advisory council Requires quarterly reports submitted by electric and natural gas distribution companies on implementation of energy and natural gas efficiency plans to quantify how plan activities contribute to meeting any and all statutory and regulatory greenhouse gas emission limits.

SECTION 28. Energy efficiency advisory council Requires the annual report developed by the energy efficiency advisory council detailing implementation of energy efficiency plans to quantify how plan activities contribute to meeting any and all statutory and regulatory greenhouse gas emission limits.

SECTION 29. Division of Energy Resources Requires the Division of Energy Resources to develop a municipal opt-in specialized energy stretch code which includes a definition of net-zero building.

SECTION 30. Division of Green Communities Requires municipalities to adopt the specialized stretch energy code established in the previous section in order to qualify as a Green Community.

SECTION 31. Building Energy Performance Requires owners of large residential buildings (35,000 sq ft and above) to report energy use data to the department of energy resources; requires the department to publish building specific data online; requires the department to prepare a comprehensive report on the energy performance of buildings in the Commonwealth, publish the report online and file it with the legislature; requires the secretary of energy and environmental affairs to conduct an annual review of improvements (or lack thereof) in building energy performance; authorizes the secretary to recommend actions to improve the performance of a building, including assessments or audits; requires electric companies to inform building-owners of opportunities to improve energy efficiency.

SECTION 32. State board of building regulations and standards Increases the membership of the State Board of Building Regulations and Standards from 11 to 15

SECTION 33. State board of building regulations and standards Adds the commissioner of energy resources or a designee to State Board of Building Regulations and Standards

SECTION 34. State board of building regulations and standards Increases the number of gubernatorial appointees on the State Board of Building Regulations and Standards from 9 to 12.

SECTION 35. State board of building regulations and standards Adds expert in commercial building energy efficiency, expert in residential building energy efficiency and expert in advanced building technology as gubernatorial appointees on the State Board of Building Regulations and Standards.

SECTION 36. State board of building regulations and standards Requires State Board of Building Regulations and Standards to keep minutes of meetings and publish them within 30 days

SECTION 37. State board of building regulations and standards Provides that commissioner of division of professional licensure consult with commissioner of energy resources in supervising the activities and staff of the State Board of Building Regulations and Standards

SECTION 38. State board of building regulations and standards – duties and powers Repeals language requiring State Board of Building Regulations and Standards to include additional and more stringent energy-efficiency provisions when integrating the International Energy Conservation Code as part of the state building code.

SECTION 39. State board of building regulations and standards – specialized codes Requires the State Board of Building Regulations and Standards to incorporate the specialized stretch energy code developed and adopted by the department of energy resources into the state building code.

SECTION 40. Amendments to state building code Requires the State Board of Building Regulations and Standards to send any amendments to the state building code to each inspector of buildings and to the secretary of housing and economic development within 45 days of filing with the Secretary of State.

SECTION 41. Sale of Gas and Electricity Allows the Department of Public Utilities to, when evaluating electric or gas prices, consider the impact of that price on the ability of the Commonwealth to meet its greenhouse emissions targets.

SECTION 42. Sale of Gas and Electricity Expands the authority of the Department of Public Utilities to review the propriety of contracts for the sale of gas or electricity, allowing for consideration of the contract’s emissions impact.

SECTION 43. Contracts for purchase of gas or electricity Requires the department of public utilities to take into account the impact on statewide greenhouse gas emissions in setting the price for gas or electricity contracts.

SECTION 44. Annual declining emissions standards – sunset Repeals language to sunset regulations establishing a desired level of declining annual aggregate emission limits for sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

SECTION 45. Low income solar generation program outreach Requires department of energy resources to allocate a portion of any solar incentive program to solar generation that primarily serves low-income persons and to conduct an outreach program to educate low and moderate-income residents about solar energy.

SECTION 46. Utility scale renewable thermal energy pilot programs Allows the department of public utilitities to authorize one or more pilot projects to develop utility-scale renewable thermal energy.

SECTION 47. Specialized stretch environmental code – public hearings Requires the department of energy resources to hold at least 3 public hearings, with at least 1 in an underserved community or community with a high percentage of low income households, in developing the specialized stretch energy code. (Section 29)

SECTION 48. Date due – initial sector-based statewide greenhouse gas emission sublimits Requires secretary of energy and environmental affairs to set the first annual sector-based statewide greenhouse gas emissions sublimits by February 1, 2021.

SECTION 49. Date due – statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits, sublimits and reduction plan for 2025 and 2030 Requires the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits and sublimits for 2025 and 2030, and the reduction plan for 2030, to be published and adopted by January 1, 2022.

SECTION 50. Date due – statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits, sublimits and reduction plan for 2035 Requires the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits, sublimits and reduction plan for 2035 to be published and adopted by January 1, 2028.

SECTION 51. Date due – statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits, sublimits and reduction plan for 2040 Requires the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits, sublimits and reduction plan for 2040 to be published and adopted by January 1, 2033.

SECTION 52. Date due – statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits, sublimits and reduction plan for 2045 Requires the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits, sublimits and reduction plan for 2045 to be published and adopted by January 1, 2038.

SECTION 53. Date due – statewide greenhouse sublimits and reduction plan for 2050 Requires the statewide greenhouse gas emissions sublimits and reduction plan to meet the 2050 greenhouse gas emission limits and sublimits to be published and adopted by January 1, 2023; allows the revision of the sublimits and plan in accordance with sublimits and plans adopted and published 2030, 2035, 2040 and 2045.

SECTION 54. Date due – regulations related to market-based compliance mechanisms for the transportation sector Requires promulgation and implantation of regulations related to market-based compliance mechanisms for the transportation sector by January 1, 2022.

SECTION 55. Date due – regulations related to market-based compliance mechanisms for the commercial, industrial and institutional sectors Requires promulgation and implantation of regulations related to market-based compliance mechanisms for the commercial, industrial and institutional sectors by January 1, 2025.

SECTION 56. Date due – regulations related to market-based compliance mechanisms for the residential building sector Requires promulgation and implantation of regulations related to market-based compliance mechanisms for the residential building sector by January 1, 2030.

SECTION 57. Date due – energy use benchmarking tool Requires the Department of Energy Resources to, by June 30, 2021, have ready an energy use benchmarking tool required for the residential building energy performance program established by this act.

SECTION 58. Date due – energy use data reporting Establishes January 1, 2022 as the first year of energy use data reporting submitted by large residential buildings (35,000 sq ft and above). (Section 31)

SECTION 59. Climate change policy commission members Regulates the initial appointment of members of the climate change policy commission: requires 3 members of the climate policy commission to be appointed for terms of 1 year, 3 members to be appointed for terms of 3 years and 3 members to be appointed for terms of 5 years, with the length of each term to be determined by the elected chair.

SECTION 60. Effective Date – Stretch Energy Code Sets an effective date of January 1, 2028 for a provision requiring municipalities to adopt the stretch energy code in order to be designated Green Communities.