“We wholeheartedly agree with Governor Healey’s analysis that ratepayers in Massachusetts are paying too much on their electricity bills. However, we are disappointed to see that in the Energy Affordability, Independence & Innovation Act, one of the most promising solutions to the affordability crisis is being attacked.
Local solar is a solution to high energy costs, not the cause. Massachusetts families, small businesses, and renters are saving 10% or more on their energy bills through community solar—a model that makes clean energy affordable and accessible to all. Community solar provides the fastest pathway to emission-free power while also helping avoid certain utility costs that would otherwise be paid by ratepayers, helping the state hit its climate targets while stabilizing long-term rates.
Some of the first community solar projects in the state, along with many projects that serve municipalities and local governments, utilize net metering. We are concerned that the proposals included in the Governor’s bill will halt the progress these and other solar programs, such as the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program, have helped create.
As the bill name states, affordability, independence and innovation are at the heart of Governor Healey’s agenda for Massachusetts’ energy. Community solar fits all three criteria: community solar is already delivering real savings, especially to low- and moderate-income families, is reducing the state’s dependence on imported natural gas, and is strengthening the electric grid all while innovating energy generation standards by allowing farmers, local businesses, and renters to participate.
By changing compensation rates of solar projects, Governor Healey is taking a step backward in bringing clean and affordable energy to Massachusetts residents. Meeting Massachusetts’s clean energy and load targets will require every tool in the toolbox. Blunting the effectiveness of community solar – the most powerful tool – only makes the job slower, harder, and more expensive.
We look forward to working alongside Governor Healey on these issues, the release of the next iteration of the SMART program, and urge the Healey administration to seize that opportunity to fully embrace the benefits solar can bring to the Commonwealth.”