Laws governing long-term contracts for renewable energy

Here, you can find information about laws and regulations governing long-term contracts that the electric companies can enter into with renewable energy project developers.

Legislative session laws

• Chapter 8 of the Acts of 2021, An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy
  • Modifies Section 83C of An Act Relative to Green Communities to require additional offshore wind generation capacity to be procured.
  • Permits the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to require the electric companies to jointly solicit and procure proposals for offshore wind transmission separately from offshore wind generation itself.
• Chapter 227 of the Acts of 2018, An Act to Advance Clean Energy
  • Authorizes the procurement of up to 1,600 megawatts (MW) of additional offshore wind facilities under Section 83C following an investigation of the necessity, benefits, and costs by DOER.
  • In May 2019, DOER published an Offshore Wind Study that found an additional 1,600 MW of offshore wind would likely provide benefits for Massachusetts ratepayers in excess of the costs and announced its intention to require the electric distribution companies to proceed with an additional 1,600 MW of offshore wind generation solicitations.  
• Chapter 188 of the Acts of 2016, An Act to Promote Energy Diversity
  • Inserting Sections 83B, 83C and 83D into an Act Relative to Green Communities
• Chapter 209 of the Acts of 2012, An Act Relative to Competitively Priced Electricity in the Commonwealth, Sections 35 and 36 
  • Amending Section 83 and inserting Section 83A into An Act Relative to Green Communities
• Chapter 169 of the Acts of 2008, An Act Relative to Green Communities, Section 83 
  • Establishing Section 83

Department of Public Utilities regulations

• 220 CMR 17.00
  • Long-term contracts for renewable energy (Section 83)
• 220 CMR 21.00
  • Competitively solicited long-term contracts for renewable energy (Section 83A)
• 220 CMR 23.00
  • Competitively solicited long-term contracts for offshore wind (Section 83C)
• 220 CMR 24.00
  • Competitively solicited long-term contracts for clean energy (Section 83D)