The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) is currently conducting a review of the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program. The primary areas of focus of the review include, but are not limited to:
- Evaluation of current solar costs and project revenue requirements across sectors
- Evaluation of potential SMART program improvements
Emergency Regulation Filing
On June 20th, 2025, DOER filed emergency regulations for the SMART 3.0 Program with the Secretary of State's Office, under 225 CMR 28.00. DOER also filed minor changes to the existing regulation, 225 CMR 20.00, to accommodate for the program transition and create an end date for eligibility under the current program.
As the regulations were filed as emergency, they will have an effective date of June 20th, 2025. But DOER will accept public comment on both regulations and can make revisions in response to feedback during the three-month rulemaking period. DOER will accept written comments on both draft regulations until 5:00 pm on July 25th, 2025. Given the emergency filing and expedited rulemaking schedule, DOER requests that stakeholders submit their public comments as soon as possible to ensure all feedback is sufficiently captured. Written comments should be submitted as attached pdf files to DOER.SMART@mass.gov, with the words “SMART 3.0 Public Comment” in the subject line. Alternatively, comments can be submitted via mail to Grace Fletcher at the Department of Energy Resources, 100 Cambridge Street, 9th Floor, Boston, MA 02114.
DOER will also conduct three public hearings to receive comments on the regulations. Below is the schedule and links to register:
Language interpretation services will be available at the hearings in Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, and American Sign Language. DOER will attempt to accommodate requests for additional language interpretation services to the extent practicable. To request additional language services, please email Elischia.Fludd@mass.gov at least four business days prior to the hearing. Please include your name, the event name and date, the language requested, and your phone number.
SMART Land Use Technical Session
On December 10, 2024, DOER hosted a virtual technical session to present the updated framework for Land Use and Siting Policy under the SMART program and collect initial feedback from stakeholders.
SMART Straw Proposal
The 2024 SMART Straw Proposal was published by DOER on July 10, 2024.
Following the SMART technical sessions, DOER published the Straw Proposal with clarifications.
View the 2024 SMART Straw Proposal in Spanish (Español), Portuguese (Português, Brasil), Chinese (简体中文), Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt), Haitian Creole (Kreyòl ayisyen), and Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu di Cabo Verde).
August 2, 2024 was the deadline for Stakeholder feedback on the Straw Proposal for anyone that did not attend the in-person technical sessions or the virtual webinar.
The 2024 Straw Proposal is based on an quantitative and qualitative analysis conducted by Sustainable Energy Advantage, LLC. Both reports outlining these analyses can be seen below.
DOER is currently in the process of drafting regulations and additional opportunities for feedback will occur during the regulatory process.
Evaluation of Solar Costs and Needed Incentive Levels Across Sectors from 2025-2030
Straw Proposal Webinar and Technical Sessions
The following dates served as opportunities to engage with DOER on the SMART Straw Proposal and provide input for consideration prior to the regulatory rulemaking process. Additional opportunities for feedback will occur during the regulatory process. Attendees were able to request language interpretation for each session below.
- On July 10th, DOER held a webinar with a presentation of the SMART Straw Proposal where stakeholders learned about proposed policy changes and could submit questions for clarification. View the SMART Straw Proposal Webinar Recording.
On July 22nd and 23rd, DOER held in-person technical sessions at the Connolly Center in the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, 600 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02210, to collect stakeholder feedback on the SMART Straw Proposal. The sessions were divided into topic areas, and attendees could register for individual sessions.
DOER requested that each organization only send one representative per session. The schedule for the sessions was:
7/22 Morning (9:30 am - noon) - Program structure and process
7/22 Afternoon (1pm - 4pm) - Equity, consumer protection, and compliance
7/23 Morning (9:30 am - noon) - Adders eligibility
7/23 Afternoon (1pm - 4pm) - Environmental protection and agrivoltaics- On July 29th, DOER held a virtual technical session for stakeholders who were unable to attend the in-person sessions. The same content was covered at both the in-person and virtual sessions, so attendance was only necessary at one.
Initial Stakeholder Feedback
To help inform the SMART review, DOER solicited responses from SMART stakeholders and the public on a series of stakeholder questions. DOER accepted comments between December 21, 2023 to February 9, 2024. Comments received by DOER are available for review below:
SMART Review Comments - February 2024
If you have any questions on these updates, please contact DOER.SMART@mass.gov.
| Date published: | December 21, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Last updated: | October 29, 2024 |