MassDEP guidance: heating-fuel suppliers must register and file quarterly reports under 310 CMR 7.71 via CHETs

In a guidance video, a Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection staff member explained that amendments finalized in November 2024 to 310 CMR 7.71 require heating fuel suppliers that deliver fuel to homes and businesses in the Commonwealth to register and report quarterly on the quantities of heating fuel they distribute.

The guidance matters because it creates a new, regular reporting requirement for businesses that deliver heating fuel in Massachusetts and centralizes emissions calculations in the state’s Clean Heat and Emissions Tracking System, known as CHETs.

Under the amended 310 CMR 7.71 regulation, suppliers must submit reports each quarter by the last day of the month following the reporting quarter (for example, the report for January–March is due on April 30). Records supporting the report — delivery tickets, shipping documents from fuel storage facilities, and information about biofuel content when known — must be retained for five years but are not required to be uploaded each quarter.

“Businesses will not have to calculate their emissions. They will only need to enter the amounts of fuel they distributed that quarter,” the MassDEP staff member said. The video instructs suppliers to enter delivered volumes in gallons by fuel type; CHETs converts gallons to energy using the higher heating value (HHV) and then applies emission factors to produce metric tons of carbon dioxide. The guidance cites 40 CFR Part 98, Table C1 to Subpart C as the source of the emission factors used by CHETs.

The video walks users through the CHETs workflow: sign in, select “fuel supplier reporting,” complete one‑time setup steps (including entering the business legal name and the number of delivery vehicles used in Massachusetts), then add a reporting period and enter gallons delivered for each fuel type. The guidance notes that all delivered-quantity fields must be populated (enter 0 for fuel types not delivered) and that users must click the blue “submit” button and accept a certification statement to save and finalize a period.

After submission, CHETs emails a PDF copy of the submission; if users edit data later they must click save and will receive an updated PDF. Uploading supporting documentation is optional. The designated representative who completed registration is legally responsible for submitting quarterly reports but may add account managers or designees in CHETs to file on the business’s behalf.

The video includes practical user tips: scroll to view all entry fields, use the “download statement” link to fetch the submission PDF, and contact CHETs help resources for account-management questions. For direct help, the presenter gives an email address and phone number for MassDEP’s CHETs support team.

Contact information provided in the guidance: dep.chets@mass.gov and (617) 227-1017.