Clean Energy Simplified: How the Mass Leads Act Streamlines Renewable Projects

Blog
By Sophia Gosselin-Smoske

On November 20, 2024, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed into law H5100, An Act Relative to Strengthening Massachusetts’ Economic Leadership. Known as the Mass Leads Act, this 227-page bill lays out a comprehensive strategy for the state’s economic growth. It includes $1.75 billion in bond reauthorizations for proven programs and allocates $1 billion in new capital to initiatives focused on enhancing competitiveness, affordability, and equity. The legislation is the result of months of negotiation and collaboration between the Massachusetts House and Senate, continuing efforts that extended beyond the formal legislative session, which concluded on August 1, 2024.

The Mass Leads Act places a strong emphasis on the climatetech and clean energy sectors, recognizing them as crucial to Massachusetts’ economic future. Climatetech, a term that has gained significant attention in this legislative cycle, has been formally defined by the Mass Leads Act as:


"Clean energy and any other advanced and applied technologies that contribute to the decarbonization of the economy, reduce and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions or mitigate the impacts of climate change through adaptation, resiliency, and environmental sustainability." (H5100, Section 79)

This focus aligns with global priorities on sustainability and the energy transition, positioning the state as a leader in these rapidly growing industries. Notable investments in this bill include:

  • $200M for the Clean Energy Investment Fund: This fund supports the research, development, and commercialization of climatetech. The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) will oversee the allocation of these resources.
  • $200M for the Wind Industry Investment Trust Fund: Dedicated to strengthening Massachusetts’ leadership in the wind energy sector. This funding will also be managed by MassCEC.
  • $30M for Climatetech Growth Tax Incentives: This funding will aim to attract businesses and spur innovation in renewable energy and climatetech. Managed by MassCEC, the incentives will promote job creation, economic development, and advancements in research, manufacturing, and deployment across the climatetech sector.
  • EV Infrastructure Expansion: Funding to support the development of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, with the ambitious goal of putting one million EVs on Massachusetts roads by 2030. Allocations will be distributed to specific municipalities and regions as outlined in the bill.

These forward-thinking investments and initiatives have been widely celebrated by industry leaders, who recognize the transformative potential of the Mass Leads Act in driving sustainability, economic growth, and equity across Massachusetts.


"The passage of the Mass Leads Act represents a significant step forward in accelerating climate innovation, job creation, and economic growth across Massachusetts. By prioritizing investments in climate solutions and supporting the businesses and workers driving this progress, the legislation will strengthen local economies, reduce energy costs, and ensure that communities statewide benefit from new opportunities. 

At MassCEC, we see this legislation as a critical complement to our mission of fostering equitable economic growth through climate innovation. Our upcoming Climatetech Economic Development Strategy & Implementation Plan outlines a clear path to maintain Massachusetts’ leadership in emerging climate technologies while ensuring economic opportunities reach every corner of the Commonwealth. Together, these efforts will help position our state—and its communities—as a world leader in the transition to a clean energy future.” – Emily Reichert, CEO of MassCEC 


"The Mass Leads Act is a bold step forward for Massachusetts and a game-changer for nonprofits. We commend the Healey-Driscoll Administration and state legislators for their commitment to making it easier and more affordable for nonprofits to reduce emissions while driving economic growth. At PowerOptions, we are excited about the opportunities this creates for our Members and look forward to working with partners like MassCEC to ensure these initiatives deliver meaningful benefits. Massachusetts is leading on climate and equity when it matters most.”- Heather Takle, President & CEO of PowerOptions.
 

To complement the Mass Leads Act, the state also successfully passed S2967, An Act Promoting a Clean Energy Grid, Advancing Equity, and Protecting Ratepayers. This comprehensive bill is designed to help Massachusetts achieve its 2050 climate goals while offering numerous exciting benefits to PowerOptions’ Membership, including:

  • Clean Energy Siting and Permitting Reform: Clean energy siting and permitting reforms will simplify and speed up the development of renewable energy projects across the state, ensuring faster implementation for our Members.  For example, as cited in Figure 1, large clean energy projects needing state, regional, and local permitting approval will now be streamlined into one 15-month (or less) process. This is the same for small projects except the approval process is now required to be 12 months or less (Figure 1). These steps formerly could have taken several years to complete, significantly delaying the deployment of clean energy projects in the state.
Figure 1: Overview of timeline and process for siting and permitting clean energy projects before (left) and after (right) the updated provisions in Climate Bill developed by the MA Commission on Clean Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting.
  • Expanding EV Adoption and Charging: Studies and programs to increase EV use and charging station deployment for Members to more readily transition to electric fleets and support statewide net-zero emissions by 2050.
  • Continued Funding for EV Adoption: Continued funding for the MOR-EV Program offers financial incentives for switching to EVs, directly benefiting our Membership.
  • Supporting Offshore Wind for Local Use: The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) to guide municipalities in participating in offshore wind aggregation plans, ensuring our Members can access this growing energy sector. This will be carried out through a competitive solicitation process, which PowerOptions is legally authorized to manage.
  • Expanding Net Metering: The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) will explore expanding net metering credits, which allow owners of renewable energy systems to earn credits for the extra electricity they generate and send back to the grid. The new changes will enable these credits to be shared across multiple meters or facilities, eliminating previous restrictions and offering more flexibility for energy producers. The DPU will also allow alternative on-bill credits, which function like net metering credits, to be applied to accounts across different utility service areas. These updates will make it easier for Members with renewable energy systems, such as solar panels, to fully benefit from the energy they produce and to share those benefits more easily.
  • Encouraging Solar Canopies: Directs the DOER to provide recommendations on how to expand solar canopy projects, providing more opportunities for dual-purpose renewable energy installations, like parking lot solar arrays, aligning cost savings with climate goals.

At PowerOptions, we are excited about the impact these measures will have on our Membership and the Commonwealth’s energy landscape as they progress through the regulatory process. We will closely monitor the next steps and collaborate with MassCEC to ensure these provisions deliver meaningful benefits and support our Members in achieving their clean energy goals.

Stay Connected and Informed

If you have questions about what these legislative changes mean for you, we’re here to help! Contact our Regulatory and Policy Analyst, Sophia Gosselin-Smoske, or join us for our biweekly RAP Office Hours. These sessions are held every other Wednesday at 12 PM, with the next one scheduled for January 15, 2025. Bring your questions, and let’s explore how these developments can help you achieve your goals.

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