Clean Energy & Climate Change
194th General Court (2025-2026)
An Act Facilitating Distributed Energy Resources in the Commonwealth
As Massachusetts continues to make progress on its climate commitments, we need to prioritize access to distributed energy resources (DERs) to ensure that the Commonwealth’s grid can flexibly, reliably, and affordably meet the demands of the clean energy transition. This bill proposes the common sense fixes that get us there feasibly and efficiently. The bill includes directives to streamline permitting and interconnection processes for small solar projects, facilitate residential solar and storage for low-income and retired Bay Staters, and allow greater establishment of microgrids.
An Act Establishing a Climate Change Superfund
This legislation creates a Climate Adaptation Superfund to finance climate adaptation projects across the commonwealth by recovering funds from large fossil fuel companies that are responsible for over one billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions released between 2000 and 2018.
An Act Relative to a Feasibility Report on Solar Rooftop Energy on New Buildings
This bill creates a legislative commission on solar rooftop energy on new buildings. The commission would review the policies and procedures related to solar energy systems, battery storage systems, and building construction pursuant to the base energy code, stretch energy code, and specialized stretch energy code and submit a feasibility report on the requirement of solar energy system installations systems on new buildings.
An Act Maximizing and Optimizing Small-Scale Assets in Communities
As Massachusetts continues to make progress on its climate commitments, we need to prioritize access to distributed energy resources (DERs) to ensure that the Commonwealth’s grid can flexibly, reliably, and affordably meet the demands of the clean energy transition. This bill sets Massachusetts on the path toward the distributed clean energy future we need. The MOSAIC Act directs Massachusetts to draw 20% of our generation from small-scale distributed resources by 2035, and maximizes DERs benefits to the grid by integrating virtual power plants (VPPs) as a central force in reducing peak demand and realigning utility incentives to foster greater adoption of distributed resources.
An Act Relative to Alternative Portfolio Standards
The Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard is a program which increases electric rates and uses the funds generated to support a variety of technologies. Unfortunately, much of the APS’s funding goes to fossil fuels because it subsidizes natural-gas-burning combined heat and power systems and supports the burning of woody biomass, despite the large amount of air-pollution caused by that fuel. This bill repeals the APS, which simplifies the Commonwealth's energy policy, lowers electric rates, and removes subsidies for burning natural gas and woody biomass.
An Act Protecting Drinking Water Quality in Private Wells
Requires the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to create a state private wells code to make standards for private wells used for human consumption. It also requires a seller to test a well for contaminants before selling their property.