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State delegation says budget may arrive by July 1; climate bill would ease municipal solar limits and add microgrids
Summary
Sen. Mike Barrett told the Select Board he is "cautiously optimistic" the Legislature will pass a budget by July 1 and previewed a climate-and-energy bill that would lift a 10-megawatt municipal solar cap, enable microgrids for critical municipal facilities and create pilots for town-owned geothermal heat loops.
Senator Mike Barrett told the Chelmsford Select Board on June 15 that he was "cautiously optimistic" the state would have a budget in place by July 1, a timetable he said would speed release of local aid to towns. Barrett said political dynamics and attention to Ways and Means deadlines make a timely budget more likely this year.
Barrett also previewed a major climate-and-energy package the Senate expects to release later in the week. He said the legislation includes items that could directly affect Chelmsford: raising limits that now cap municipal solar generation at 10 megawatts, removing other constraints on town solar projects, provisions enabling microgrids to power critical municipal facilities and pilot programs to explore town-owned geothermal heat loops.
"There are about a hundred different sections or ideas in the House bill, and probably a similar number in the Senate," Barrett said. "Among the things that will be of interest to communities ... is a provision that lifts some restrictions that currently exist." He described microgrids as a way for a town to provide backup power to essential sites such as schools or hospitals, and said geothermal loop pilots could offer long‑term savings.
The delegation emphasized that some elements come from the House bill and will require negotiation in conference, but Barrett said the overall aim is to give towns additional tools for local energy resilience and savings over time.
Why it matters: A timely state budget restores funding flow for local aid, grants and competitively awarded programs; changes to municipal energy rules could allow Chelmsford to expand town-owned renewable projects, add microgrid backups for critical facilities and pursue pilot projects for geothermal heating. Implementation would depend on final legislative language and available appropriations.
What’s next: Delegation members said the Senate will release its full climate-and-energy proposal soon, with committee and conference work to follow. The Select Board may want to track specific bill sections and funding lines that affect municipal project eligibility and timing.
