Public Meeting Notice  2024 Climate Act Stakeholder Session 3: Pre-filing Engagement Requirements and More.

Remote attendees for all sessions can join by clicking this link from a computer, tablet, or smart device.

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (“EEA”) Office of Environmental Justice and Equity (“OEJE”), Energy Facilities Siting Board (“EFSB”), Department of Public Utilities (“DPU”), and Department of Energy Resources (“DOER”) invite you to attend stakeholder sessions to learn about implementing the siting and permitting changes required by law for energy facilities, provide written and/or oral comments, and ask questions on straw proposals. “An Act promoting a clean energy grid, advancing equity and protecting ratepayers” (“2024 Climate Act”) requires several agencies to propose regulations for comments. Staff from EEA, EFSB, and DPU prepared the straw proposals to elicit input from the public, public officials, other agencies, community-based organizations, and potential project applicants ahead of issuing proposed regulations later this year.The following straw proposals will be discussed at this session: Pre-filing Engagement Proposal (English | Arabic | Cape Verdean Creole |  French | Haitian Creole |  Khmer | Korean | Portuguese | Russian | Simplified Chinese |  Spanish | Vietnamese), Intervenor Support Grant Program Proposal (English | Arabic | Cape Verdean Creole |  French | Haitian Creole |  Khmer | Korean | Portuguese | Russian | Simplified Chinese |  Spanish | Vietnamese), and Guidance on Community Benefits Plans."

In November 2024, Governor Maura Healey signed into law the 2024 Climate Act, which makes many changes to the way that energy infrastructure is sited and permitted in Massachusetts. One major change is that the 2024 Climate Act requires the EFSB to issue a single consolidated permit for large infrastructure that comprises all state, regional and local permits that a “clean energy infrastructure facility” would otherwise be required to obtain to commence construction and operation. EFSB, in coordination with other EEA organizations such as the OEJE, DPU, and DOER, is required to promulgate regulations and guidance to implement reforms related to siting and permitting by March 1, 2026. DOER will be promulgating regulations by the same date related to the municipal consolidated permitting process for small clean energy infrastructure siting and permitting.

At each stakeholder session, there will be short presentations of the specific topics for that session. Attendees will then have the opportunity to ask questions and comment on the straw proposals for those topics. Pre-registered commenters will speak first and others will speak afterwards. To pre-register to provide oral comments or ask questions during a stakeholder session (in person, on Zoom, or by telephone), notify ERG at meetings@erg.com. Please provide your name and the topic you are commenting/asking a question on by noon, on the day of the stakeholder session.

For audio-only participation attendees can dial in at (646) 828-7666 (not a toll-free number) and then enter the Webinar ID:161 000 0543. For each hybrid stakeholder session, there will be light refreshments.

EFSB, DPU, DOER, and OEJE also welcome written comments on the straw proposals. Written comments on each topic will be most useful if submitted two weeks after the relevant stakeholder session (i.e., latest by April 24, 2025 for the topics from Stakeholder Session 1). Any person seeking to comment must file their comments by email or email attachment sent to the following email addresses: sitingboard.filing@mass.gov.

Available in-person interpretation will include Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese. Virtually the following languages will be provided: ASL, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Russian, Khmer, Arabic, Cape Verdean Creole, Korean and French. Additional language interpretation services are also available upon request to Caroline Lemoine at (857) 378 – 1703 or caroline.lemoine2@mass.gov. Include in your request the language required and your contact information. To assist us in accommodating your request, please submit it as soon as possible.

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities (e.g., Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format) are available upon request. To request an accommodation, please contact:

Melixza Esenyie

Non-Discrimination Coordinator and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs,

Human Resources, 9th Floor

100 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114,

eeadiversity@mass.gov, 617-626-1282.

In your communication, state the accommodations you need and why you need them. Provide contact information in case the Coordinator needs more information. Provide one week’s advance notice. The Coordinator will consider but may not be able to fulfill late requests.

For further information about the stakeholder sessions or the straw proposals, please send an email to sitingboard.filing@mass.gov. For periodic updates, please visit the EFSB’s webpage for siting and permitting reform updates.