Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed Senate Bill 2967 into law that includes siting and permitting reforms that will help to speed the buildout of solar and other clean energy technologies. It extends regional clean energy procurement timelines and offers battery energy storage incentives along with an energy storage procurement program.
The bill also establishes the Office of Environmental Justice and Equity and includes environmental justice protections, giving a boost to community solar in the Commonwealth.
“After months of negotiation, we are thrilled to see Massachusetts pass Senate Bill 2967 and Gov. Healey sign it into law—a landmark step toward clean energy progress,” said Kate Daniel, northeast regional director of the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA). “This bill streamlines clean energy siting and permitting, authorizes vital clean energy procurement, and adopts net crediting for community solar.”
The net crediting in the bill will enable ratepayers to see savings from community solar credits on their electricity bills, she said, “eliminating the hassle of a second bill and making clean energy more accessible, especially for low-to-moderate income households.”
Daniel also pointed out that the permitting reforms will help unlock stalled community solar projects, “accelerating the deployment of renewable energy critical for meeting the state’s 2030 decarbonization targets.”
“This new law is a significant milestone, but the work is just beginning. CCSA and its coalition partners stand ready to partner with the Healey Administration to implement these policies and build the clean energy infrastructure Massachusetts needs to meet its ambitious climate goals,” Daniel concluded.
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