On July 17th, the Mass. House of Representatives passed a climate bill. This sets the stage for reconciliation with the bill passed by the State Senate on June 25th. This must happen before the legislative session ends on July 31.

After the Senate voted, we wrote that they produced a good bill. Their bill would ban predatory and greenwashing third-party retail electricity suppliers and regulate gas utilities in alignment with the Commonwealth’s climate mandates. In particular, the Senate bill would allow the Department of Public Utilities to require gas utilities to look for alternative solutions to meet the needs of its customers before going to the expense of building or replacing gas pipelines. The cost of pipeline construction and maintenance has been spread over decades, placing a long-term burden on ratepayers. As residents and businesses gradually switch to heat pumps from fossil fuels, those remaining gas customers will have to foot the bill for the “stranded costs” relating to under-utilized gas infrastructure. That is why the DPU needs authority to limit unnecessary spending on gas infrastructure and contain those stranded costs. Those dollars would be better put towards clean heat solutions. Unfortunately, these important provisions of the Senate bill, which put consumers and the environment ahead of corporate interests, are not in the House bill.

To resolve differences between the two bills, a “conference committee” of lawmakers from the House and Senate (usually three members from each side) will meet to create a new version. That legislation will then be sent back to each branch where it will be voted on as is, without further amendment. If approved at that point, it will go to Governor Healey for her signature or veto. The stated priority of House leaders has been to establish new processes for siting and permitting clean energy facilities. The Senate addressed the issue as well, and we are confident that the two chambers will work out a compromise. Both sides also have good language to bolster electric vehicle adoption.  

For more information on the House and Senate climate bills, read this Boston Globe article posted shortly after the House vote. 

Until the conference committee produces its compromise bill, there is still a chance for people to help push for a stronger climate bill by contacting their state senator and representative and asking them to support a climate bill that bans third-party electric suppliers and reforms our gas utility laws. If enough citizens reach their lawmakers, and enough lawmakers talk to the conference committee appointees, the final product will combine the best of both the House’s version and the Senate’s version. In 2021 and 2022, the legislature produced excellent climate bills. They can do it again. 

Here’s how to locate your legislator’s contact information: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator.   

For more information, contact Carrie Katan, Carrie@greenenergyconsumers.org.