Laws governing long-term contracts for renewable energy and energy storage

Here, you can find information about laws and regulations governing long-term contracts that the electric companies (Eversource, National Grid, Unitil) enter into with renewable energy and energy storage developers.

Legislative session laws

• Chapter 239 of the Acts of 2024, An Act Promoting a Clean Energy Grid, Advancing Equity and Protecting Ratepayers, Section 94 through 98
  • Inserted Section 83E into An Act Relative to Green Communities
  • Authorized the procurement of approximately 5,000 megawatts (MW) of energy storage systems no later than July 31, 2030, including procurements:
    • for mid-duration (equal to or greater than 4 hours up to 10 hours);
    • long-duration (greater than 10 hours and less than or equal to 24 hours); and
    • multi-day (greater than 24 hours) energy storage resources
  • Modified Section 83B of An Act Relative to Green Communities to add definitions pertaining to Sections 83C, 83D, and 83E, including defining the long-term contract period to 15-30 years for offshore wind (Section 83C) and clean energy generation (Section 83D), and up to 30 years for energy storage systems (Section 83E)
• Chapter 179 of the Acts of 2022, An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind, Sections 60 through 62
  • Modified Section 83B of An Act Relative to Green Communities to add definitions and Section 83C to require up to 5,600 MW total of offshore wind generation capacity to be procured
  • Established a new role for the Department of Energy Resources (DOER), in consultation with the electric companies and Attorney General, to select winning bid(s). Previously, the electric companies solely determined winning bid(s)
• Chapter 8 of the Acts of 2021, An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy, Sections 91, 93, and 95
  • Modified Section 83C of An Act Relative to Green Communities to require up to 4,000 MW total of additional offshore wind generation capacity to be procured
  • Permitted 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, Section 21
  • Directed DOER to investigate the necessity, benefits, and costs of additional offshore wind generation solicitations up to 1,600 MW in addition to the procurements required by Section 83C, and transmission that may be developed independently from the generation that is sufficient to deliver the generation procured pursuant to Section 21
  • Following the investigation of the necessity, benefits, and costs by the DOER, authorized the procurement of up to 1,600 MW of additional offshore wind facilities under Section 83C (i.e., for a total of 3,200 MW)
• Chapter 188 of the Acts of 2016, An Act to Promote Energy Diversity, Section 12
  • Inserted Sections 83B, 83C and 83D into An Act Relative to Green Communities
  • Modified An Act Relative to Green Communities to require:
    • up to 1,600 MW total of offshore wind generation capacity to be procured under Section 83C, and
    • 9,450,000 MW hours of clean energy generation under Section 83D
• Chapter 209 of the Acts of 2012, An Act Relative to Competitively Priced Electricity in the Commonwealth, Sections 35 and 36
  • Amended Section 83 and inserted Section 83A into An Act Relative to Green Communities
• Chapter 169 of the Acts of 2008, An Act Relative to Green Communities, Section 83
  • Established 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)

DOER offshore wind studies

• Offshore Wind Municipal Aggregation Guidance (DOER, June 2025)
  • DOER published technical guidance on how Massachusetts municipalities with a municipal aggregation plan can enter long-term contracts to purchase offshore wind.
• Offshore Wind Study (DOER, May 2019)
  • DOER published an Offshore Wind Study that analyzed the benefits that an additional 1,600 MW of offshore wind (beyond the 1,600 MW limit at the time) would provide to Massachusetts ratepayers.       

Last updated:	February 26, 2026