Green Communities Act

1
Green Communities Act

• Courtney Feeley Karp
• Mass. Department of Energy Resources
• 100 Cambridge St. Suite 1020
• Boston, MA 02114
• [phone]

2
Main Areas of Legislation

• Renewable and Alternative Energy
• Energy Efficiency
• Green Communities Program
• Restructuring of the MTC
• Long Term Contracts
• Commissions further study of issues

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Energy Goals

• Promotes new and alternative forms of energy
  through updated portfolio standards.
• Achieve 15 of energy through renewable sources
  by 2020.
• Achieve 20 of energy through renewable and
  alternative energy by 2020.
• Meet at least 25 of the Commonwealths electric
  load, including both capacity and energy, by the
  year 2020 with demand side resources

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Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Class I

• Current RPS technologies, (wind, solar, tidal,
  fuel cells, and landfill gas) addition of
  geothermal, hydro, and hydrokinetic
• Also updates definition of biomass - wood,
  by-products or waste from agricultural crops,
  food or animals, energy crops, biogas, liquid
  biofuel including but not limited to biodiesel,
  organic refuse-derived fuel, or algae
• Increase minimum percentage by 1 a year starting
  in 2009
• Onsite new RPS Class I will have a special
  carve-out for onsite generation.

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RPS Class II

• Class II is for vintage facilities (pre-1998) and
  includes all the technologies as class I with the
  addition of waste energy (WTE)
• Class is designed to keep existing resources
  online DOER will set a minimum percentage and
  ACP
• WTE has unique requirement that at least 50 of
  its REC revenue must go to DEP approved recycling
  programs.

6
Alternative Portfolio Standard (APS)

• Gasification with permanent capture and
  sequestration
• CHP
• Flywheel storage
• Paper Cubes approved by DEP through a BUD for
  the production of heat or power
• Efficient Steam
• Others as approved by DOER

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APS continued

• Also requires emission and fuel conversion
  efficiency standards for these technologies
• Net CO2 emission rate not to exceed the average
  for natural gas plants in MA.
• DOER will establish minimum percentage and ACP
• Review standards at least every 2 years

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Green Communities Program

• Provides up to 10M annually in grants and loans
  to qualifying communities
• Qualification Criteria
• Provide for as-of-right siting
• Adopt expedited application permitting
• Establish an energy use baseline inventory and
  put in place a program to reduce baseline by 20
  in 5 years
• Purchase only fuel-efficient vehicles
• Require all residential construction gt 3000 ft2
  to minimize life-cycle energy costs

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Green Communities Program - Schedule

• RGGI Auction held September 24 - 5 Million
  allocated for Green Communities Divsion
• Currently preparing guidelines/application for
  Program Opportunity Notice soon
• Fund significant energy efficiency initiatives,
  renewable energy, innovative projects
• MMA meeting Nov 7th for cities and towns to learn
  more as program evolves

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Efficiency

• Makes efficiency the first fuel utilities to
  invest in all cost-effective energy efficiency
• Procure all demand resources that are less
  expensive than supply funded by SBC, FCM, RGGI,
  NOx, other
• Forms Energy Efficiency Advisory Council
• 11 members specified composition 5 year term
• Clear timetable for 3 year plans
• Submit to Council by April 30 and to DPU by Oct
  31
• 90 days for DPU decision

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CD Commission

• Establishment of special commission to study the
  burning of CD as it relates to the RPS with a
  report due by July 1, 2009.
• Co-chaired by Joint Chairs of TUE Committee,
  Minority appts, Secretary Bowles, Commissioner
  Giudice, and 3 appts by Gov including someone
  from waste energy, and someone representing
  consumers.

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Siting Commission

• Commission formed to study siting of generation
  facilities with a report due by January 2, 2010.
• Focus includes a review of existing statutes and
  regulations, including authority of energy siting
  review board
• Review one-stop shopping possibility
• Discuss as of right siting for renewable and
  alternative energy facilities in industrial
  zones.

13
Netmetering

• Capped _at_ 1 of utility peak load
• Expands previous 60 kW limit for net metering
  with tiered credits as follows
• Class I 60 kW or less (all technologies)
  existing rule
• Class II gt60 kW 1 MW (solar, wind,
  agricultural business)
• Class III gt1 MW 2 MW (solar, wind,
  agricultural business)
• Net excess is carried over month-to-month
  indefinitely
• Neighborhood net metering
• Class I, II, or III facility that serves the
  energy needs of a group of 10 or more residential
  customers in a single neighborhood and
  distribution company

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9/2/2009
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For More Information

• See our GCA website at www.mass.gov/doer
• Chapter 169 of the Acts of 2008 (link on our
  website)
• Please feel free to contact me
• Courtney Feeley Karp courtney.karp_at_state.ma.us
• DOER [phone]