Facility reporting of greenhouse gas emissions provides data that helps Massachusetts develop emission reduction targets and plans, and measure progress toward its Climate Action goals.
Overview & Applicability
The Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA), which became law in 2008, required the Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to promulgate mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting regulations.
MassDEP responded by issuing 310 CMR 7.71, which identifies the facilities that need to report, establishes methodologies for calculating and verifying emissions, and allows voluntary reporting by facilities for which it is not mandatory.
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MassDEP also established special requirements for Retail Sellers of Electricity.
See Additional Resources below for related links and downloads, including a GHG Reporting Applicability Screening Tool spreadsheet that you can use to determine if your facility needs to report.
Additional Resources for Overview & Applicability
Facility Reporting
The Climate Registry Information System (CRIS) software platform, which facilities previously used for GHG emissions reporting, is no longer available.
MassDEP has combined GHG reporting with Source Registration on the eDEP Online Filing system and the new web forms are now available.
Follow the link in Key Actions below to learn more.
Key Actions for Facility Reporting
Additional Resources for Facility Reporting
Retail Seller of Electricity Reporting
A Retail Seller of Electricity is:
- A competitive supplier licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) or
- Either (1) an electric utility or (2) a municipal electric department or municipal light board as defined in M.G.L. Chapter 164A Section 1.
All retail sellers are required to annually report GHG emissions they release from generating the power they sell. There is also an optional report for those that choose to account for ownership and/or use of certain generation sources.
Each retail seller's GHG emissions are calculated by multiplying megawatt hours (MWh) supplied to customers in a particular year by GHG emission factors that MassDEP updates annually after issuing draft factors for public and stakeholder comment.
See Additional Resources below for a link to MassDEP calculations of emission factors.
Key Actions for Retail Seller of Electricity Reporting
Additional Resources for Retail Seller of Electricity Reporting
GHG Emissions Verification
The 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) directed MassDEP to adopt regulations requiring the “reporting and verification of statewide GHG emissions” from about 300 of the state's largest sources (those emitting more than 5,000 short tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, or CO2e, per year).
To meet the verification requirement, 310 CMR 7.71(7) requires these facilities to hire accredited third-parties to verify their GHG emissions report once every three years. Facilities completed the first triennial verification cycle in 2013, resulting in third-party verification of nearly all GHG reporters.
MassDEP has issued an Enforcement Discretion Notice suspending the requirement and is considering regulatory amendments that would end it.
Additional Resources for GHG Emissions Verification
Annual GHG Emissions Data
Follow the link below for annual summaries of Massachusetts facility and Retail Seller of Electricity GHG emissions reporting.