Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Clean Energy Permitting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Town administrator briefs Select Board on upcoming state consolidated permitting for clean energy projects
Summary
Town Administrator told the Select Board that state regulations implementing a new clean energy law will require consolidated permitting for smaller generation and storage projects and could limit municipal discretion, with regulations currently being drafted at the state level.
CHARLTON, Mass. — The Town Administrator informed the Charlton Select Board on Feb. 25 about forthcoming state changes to permitting for clean energy projects that the meeting record described as part of a new clean energy law and related regulations now in development.
According to the administrator, the law will require municipalities to use a consolidated permitting process for local projects under certain size thresholds: generation projects under 25 megawatts and storage projects under 100 megawatts. The administrator said the consolidated process will include consistent standards and that if a project meets those standards, a municipality would have limited authority to reject it and would be required to approve a complete application within one year.
The administrator said the Department of Energy Resources (referred to in the record during the meeting) is drafting the implementing regulations. He also noted the changes would not affect projects that already have permits in place; the rules would apply to projects not currently in the permitting queue. The administrator said the planning board and other local officials would be updated as the state regulations are finalized.
The item was presented as informational; no action or vote was taken by the Select Board at this meeting.
