Press Release: 3/6/2026
House OK’s energy affordability legislation
In considering energy affordability legislation, the Legislature is looking at potential impacts from federal policy changes on renewable energy, including offshore wind, and solutions the state might be able to implement.
As energy affordability legislation continues to be a topic of discussion on Beacon Hill, the challenge is balancing the need to contain prices while continuing to promote clean energy and decarbonization across Massachusetts.
Last May, Gov. Maura Healey filed a bill that sought to lower energy costs for consumers, bring more energy into Massachusetts, increase utility accountability and promote innovation. (More details available on the bill’s website.)
Following the bill’s hearing last June, House members of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy released their own energy affordability legislation, which was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee in November.
In January, House members discussed the proposals in small groups to provide feedback to the committee, considering issues such as impacts from federal policy changes on renewable energy, including offshore wind, and what solutions the state might be able to implement.
In a letter on Feb. 2 to the House Ways and Means Committee, the MMA identified key priorities and issues for cities and towns.
On Feb. 26, the House passed an updated version of the bill (H. 5151), which includes a provision to give municipalities the option to ban third-party competitive energy suppliers, marketers, or brokers from renewing or executing new contracts in their city or town. The compromise provision, which stems from previous discussions on a complete ban on third-party suppliers, would not impact municipal aggregation programs.
The House bill addressed several of the key concerns raised by the MMA.
The bill includes an important provision that would raise the municipal net metering cap — the limit on the amount of solar generation for which a city or town may obtain net metering credits — from 10 megawatts to 20 megawatts.
The House bill also removed previously proposed language that would have excluded certain projects in the 10 communities participating in the Municipal Fossil Fuel Free Building Demonstration Program from being eligible for Mass Save incentives.
The updated bill also clarified a permitting provision from earlier drafts for high voltage transmission line installations on highways, to avoid confusion with roads under municipal jurisdiction.
One provision that remains in the bill would require the use of an automated, online permitting platform for residential solar projects and associated equipment on one- and two-family dwellings.
H. 5151 is now headed to the Senate for its deliberation.