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Advisory board creates working group to coordinate energy readiness and economic development; board adds members
Summary
The advisory board approved creation of a new focus-area working group to align grid readiness, interconnection and economic-development objectives (so-called clean-energy-ready development zones), and approved two proposed new advisory-board members.
The advisory board approved formation of a new focus-area working group to address barriers that slow or block connections of high-energy users and clean-energy projects to the grid and to consider a program of prequalified "clean-energy-ready" sites to expedite economic development aligned with climate goals.
Rationale and scope: presenters said companies deciding where to locate large manufacturing, data center or clean‑technology facilities weigh development timelines against utility interconnection timeframes and grid capacity constraints. The proposed working group will focus on three buckets: policy changes to avoid future interconnection barriers; customer-experience improvements to streamline permitting and developer interactions; and technical fixes to interconnection processes. The group is intended as a forum to coordinate existing stakeholder efforts, fill a gap for public input on development-ready sites, and to recommend criteria for siting that meet state climate and land-use priorities.
Member comments: labor and industry representatives urged urgency. Michael Monahan of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers said high electricity costs and lengthy interconnection processes are redirecting investment away from Massachusetts. Several business and municipal representatives recommended integrating equity considerations so benefits flow to host communities and gateway cities.
Advisory-board actions: the board approved two incoming advisory-board members (executive directors proposed in pre-reads) and voted to create the new working group. Both actions passed on voice votes with no recorded opposition. The working group will coordinate with existing initiatives (long‑term system planning, DOER interagency rate work, MassCEC economic development efforts) and will convene stakeholders from utilities, developers, municipalities, labor and agencies to draft criteria for clean‑energy‑ready sites.
Why this matters: participants said a transparent, coordinated approach could reduce lost economic opportunities, align development with emissions goals and accelerate jobs and investment in the Commonwealth without undermining safety or reliability.
Ending: staff said they will circulate meeting dates and a short charter and will solicit volunteer members for the working group. The advisory board plans to review early recommendations in subsequent meetings.
