By Mr. Dempsey of Haverhill, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3294) of Brian S. Dempsey that the Department of Telecommunications and Energy be directed to establish a pilot program for the installation of "smart meters" providing for reductions in electric charges for consumers.  Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Brian S. Dempsey

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act establishing a demand response pilot program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

SECTION 1.  The secretary of energy and environmental affairs shall establish a 2 year pilot program providing smart meters to residential and commercial industrial customers along with implementation of phone and e-mail notification systems to warn those customers of high prices so they can reduce their usage accordingly.

The secretary of energy and environmental affairs shall establish a demand-response pilot program providing commercial and residential consumers with the necessary equipment to participate in such a program.

The program shall provide 5,000 smart meters to residential and commercial participants. This shall be a 2 year pilot program beginning in November 1, 2007 and ending on November 1, 2009. The secretary of energy and environmental affairs shall direct electric utilities located in the commonwealth to install meters capable of recording hourly energy use at the service location of each customer that elects real-time pricing. In addition to providing 5,000 meters, the secretary of energy and environmental affairs shall direct the electric utilities to implement phone and e-mail notification systems to participants necessary for participation in the pilot program. This pilot program is intended to help consumers lower their monthly utility bills and reduce electricity demand.

Following the completion of the pilot program, the secretary of energy and environmental affairs shall submit a report to the house and senate no later than February 1, 2010 detailing the operation and results of the program, including information concerning changes in customers’ energy use patterns, an assessment of the value of the program to both participants and non-participants, and recommendations concerning modification of the program.