By Bob Katzen
House 25-130, rejected an amendment that would require all state agencies and authorities implementing energy or climate-related regulations to complete a formal affordability and competitiveness assessment before those actions take effect.
Agencies would be prohibited from advancing regulations tied to greenhouse gas limits or clean energy goals unless they determine the action will not impose unreasonable adverse impacts on residential ratepayers, including low-and fixed-income households, or on the operating costs and competitiveness of Massachusetts businesses.
The amendment mandates that the assessment must identify projected cost impacts across ratepayer classes, evaluate cumulative impacts, consult with ratepayers and business organizations and be made publicly available at least 30 days prior to implementation. If unreasonable impacts are identified, agencies must modify the proposal or adopt mitigation measures, and failure to comply would be subject to judicial review.
“If the goal of this legislation is affordability, then there must be a real backstop to protect ratepayers,” said amendment sponsor Rep. Ken Sweezey (R-Hanson). “The amendment ensures that new climate or energy mandates cannot move forward without a transparent review of their impact on household energy costs and business competitiveness. It guarantees that affordability is measured and enforced, not simply promised.”
Rep. Mike Kushmerek (D-Fitchburg) opposed the amendment and said that a nearly identical amendment was put forward in an earlier version of this bill, and during that process, the feedback he received was that while it was well intentioned, the amendment would effectively grind the state’s clean energy industry to a halt. He noted that litigious parties would seek to exploit this provision to tie up the clean energy industry and programs in legal battles.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Christine Barber No Rep. Mike Connolly No Rep. Paul Donato No Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven No