Senate committee reviews S.65 rewrite that alters efficiency-utility rules, restores biomass incentives and sets equity spending target

A Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee meeting on March 13 examined draft 4.3 of S.65, a rewrite that modifies how the state’s efficiency-utility programs would be funded and governed and reinstates a statutory incentive for high-efficiency biomass heating systems.

The committee opened the discussion with Ellen, legislative counsel, noting the draft label and the changes highlighted from the prior day: "the committee to strike all amendment to S.65. It is today's draft is draft 4.3, dated March 13 at 08:43AM. The changes from yesterday's draft are highlighted in yellow," she said. Ellen walked members through edits to the clean heat standard provisions and the efficiency-utility sections.

The draft restores a provision that requires an appointed entity delivering services using certain ISO New England forward capacity revenues to “give priority to incentives for the installation of high efficiency biomass heating…