Overview
The Energy Facilities Siting Board (“Siting Board”) will conduct a public meeting on July 21, 2025 to discuss the implementation of An Act promoting a clean energy grid, advancing equity and protecting ratepayers,” St. 2024, c. 239 (the “2024 Climate Act”). Siting Board staff will issue for discussion purposes draft proposed regulations and guidance implementing the Act. The Siting Board will hear staff presentations on the draft proposed regulation and guidance, and have the opportunity to ask questions or make comments on the packages. The Siting Board will not vote on the draft proposed regulations at this meeting. The Siting Board will hear public comment as time allows. Draft proposed regulations and guidance documents will be posted below.
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. The Siting Board is required to promulgate regulations and guidance to implement reforms related to siting and permitting by March 1, 2026. Siting Board staff previously prepared straw proposals to elicit input ahead of issuing draft proposed regulations. For more information, visit: 2024 Climate Act Stakeholder Sessions | Mass.gov.
September Board Meeting
The Energy Facilities Siting Board (“Siting Board”) anticipates conducting a hybrid Siting Board meeting in the Large Hearing Room at One South Station, Boston, and using Zoom videoconferencing on Monday, September 8, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., to deliberate and vote on a Tentative Decision opening a rulemaking to consider proposed regulations implementing the 2024 Climate Act, St. 2024, c. 239 (the “Act”).
Please reserve the date in your schedules.
Siting Division staff previously issued for discussion purposes draft proposed regulations and guidance in July, and then the Siting Board conducted a public meeting to hear comments on the draft proposed regulations. Based on comments received, Siting Division staff revised the proposed regulations. At the forthcoming Board meeting, the Siting Board will hear staff presentations on the revised regulations and guidance proposals. The Siting Board will hear public comment as time allows. The Siting Board meeting on September 8 will initiate a formal rulemaking process that will include further opportunities for written and oral comment.
The Siting Board will provide additional information soon on the upcoming Siting Board meeting including the link to participate remotely. The Siting Board anticipates providing the proposed regulations and tentative decision opening the rulemaking before the Siting Board meeting. For periodic updates, please visit the Siting Board’s webpage for siting and permitting reform updates: EFSB Permitting Dashboard | Mass.gov.
Draft Proposed Regulations and Guidance
Please note that the draft proposed regulations below are early drafts for discussion purposes. The formal rulemaking process will begin in the fall, when the Siting Board will issue Proposed Regulations for comment. The Siting Board will provide further information on the formal rulemaking schedule soon.
The Siting Board invites written comments on the draft proposed regulations. This section will be updated as draft proposed regulations become available. Written comments will be most useful to the Siting Board if submitted by Monday, July 28, 2025, except where noted below. Any person seeking to comment must file their comments by email or email attachment to the following email address: sitingboard.filing@mass.gov.
- 980 CMR 1.00 Regulation Modifications (Adjudicatory Procedures)
- 980 CMR 2.00 Regulation Modifications (Board Procedures)
- 980 CMR 14.00 Regulation (De Novo Review Procedures)
- 980 CMR 17.00 Regulation (Constructive Approval Procedures)
- 980 CMR 13.00 Regulation (Consolidated Permit Application)
- 980 CMR 13.00 Guidance (Consolidated Permit Application)
Written comments on 980 CMR 16.00 will be most useful to the Siting Board if submitted by Friday, August 1, 2025.
- 980 CMR 16.00 Regulation (Pre-Filing Engagement)
- 980 CMR 16.00 Guidance (Pre-Filing Engagement)
July Board Meeting
The Siting Board anticipates the following schedule:
Monday, July 21, 2025, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The Siting Board will discuss implementation of the 2024 Climate Act, St. 2024, c. 239. Siting Division staff plans to issue for discussion purposes draft proposed regulations and guidance implementing the Act. The Siting Board will hear staff presentations on the regulation and guidance proposals, and have the opportunity to ask questions or make comments on the packages. The Siting Board will hear public comment as time allows. Proposed regulations and guidance documents will be posted when available on this website. The website will also provide further details on the Board meeting, sign-up procedures for commenters, and the Zoom link for remote participation. The Siting Board will not vote on the draft proposed regulations at this meeting. There will not be an opportunity to discuss any pending or future proposals about specific projects.
Tuesday, July 22, 2025, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. The Siting Board will meet, deliberate, and vote on a Tentative Decision in the Mid Cape Reliability Project Change proceeding, EFSB 19-06A/D.P.U. 19-142A/19-143A/23-22. The Siting Board will provide additional information on the upcoming Board meeting including the link for remote participation soon. The Siting Board maintains an informational webpage for this proceeding and will continue to update it during the proceeding: Mid Cape Reliability Project Change | Mass.gov. At the conclusion of the Mid Cape portion of the morning, the Siting Board staff will accept additional comment on the 2024 Climate Act draft proposed regulations packages, as time allows.
A copy of the full notice can be accessed from the following links:
English | Haitian Creole | Portuguese | Simplified Chinese | Spanish | Vietnamese
The agenda related to this meeting is available in English, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, & Vietnamese.
The YouTube recording is available at the following link.
The transcript for this meeting is now available at the following link.
The slides used at the meeting are available here in: English | Haitian Creole | Portuguese | Simplified Chinese | Spanish | Vietnamese
Accessing Board Meeting
The Siting Board meeting was conducted both in-person and on Zoom on Monday, July 21, 2025 at 9 a.m. and Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 9 a.m.
In-person meeting location: One South Station, Boston, MA 02110, 3rd floor, Large Hearing Room. A recording of the meeting will be posted to YouTube.
Written Comments Received
Michael DeChiara (Section 2, 14, & 17) 07-18-2025
Michael DeChiara (Section 1 & 13) 07-23-2025
Eversource & National Grid 07-28-2025 (Attachments A, B, C, D, & E)
Orsted (Section 1, 2, 13, 14, 17) 07-28-2025
Michael DeChiara (Section 16) 07-31-2025
Cape Cod Commission 08-01-2025
Orsted (Section 16) 08-01-2025
Clean Energy Industry Partners 08-01-2025
Eversource & National Grid 08-01-2025 (Attachment A)
Accommodation Requests and Language Services Requests
Interpretation services for the Siting Board meeting (in-person and Zoom) will be provided in Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese and ASL. Additional language interpretation services are also available upon request to Yonathan Mengesha at (617) 305-3544 or Yonathan.Mengesha@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 accommodation you need and why you need the accommodation. Provide contact information in case the Coordinator needs more information. Provide your request as soon as possible. The Coordinator will consider but may not be able to fulfill late requests.
Non-discrimination Notice
The Siting Board does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, income, ethnicity, class, disability, religious creed or belief, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, English language proficiency or ancestry in administration of its programs or activities. See the Siting Board’s Non-Discrimination Notice.
If you have any questions about this notice or any of the Siting Board’s non-discrimination programs, policies, or procedures or believe the Siting Board has discriminated against you, you may contact Melixza Esenyie (see above for contact information) for more information.
Contact
For further information please send an email to sitingboard.filing@mass.gov or use this comment form. For periodic updates, please visit this webpage.
| Last updated: | August 22, 2025 |
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