Strategy & Planning

“My Division is tasked with the transition to a clean energy system. It’s specifically as we transition off natural gas. There are challenges. Safety and reliability are paramount. Massachusetts is leading the way on several issues. We don’t often have somebody we can look to for answers.”

“How can I take some of the tragedies and look systemically across the state and say, ‘Where do we have these issues?’ Also how, from the regulator’s perspective, can we build an oversight that balances proactive approaches, utilizes data, so we’re able to get ahead of incidents that claim a lot of lives every year.”

“The 2024 Climate Act charges the Division of Public Participation with assisting stakeholders to navigate prefiling engagement and outreach requirements for Siting Board proceedings. We are working on regulations and guidance to ensure consistency in prefiling outreach requirements across projects.”

“The Legislature amended the Department’s authorizing statute a few years ago to encompass both equity and greenhouse gas emission reductions, in addition to safety, security, reliability, and affordability.”

“Cost to consumers is top of mind for the Commission and the Department. We understand that the high cost of energy is a burden for a lot of folks in Massachusetts, and that’s something we take seriously and are working on.”

“We are considering whether to limit the percentage of people’s income spent on energy bills. We have an energy burden docket considering tiered discount rates or targeting the largest bill discounts to customers most in need, and changes to utility service disconnection practices.”

“The next five years are going to be significant on the gas side as we continue to guide the transition of the industry, and on the electric side as we implement AMI and roll out time-varying rates. We need to do a lot on rate design, affordability, and heat pump rates.”

The DPU is led by Chair James Van Nostrand along with Commissioners Cecile Fraser and Staci Rubin. The PUF team discussed with them the latest events in regulation, as well as where the Bay State is headed in its energy transition. DPU Staff provided updates on what is going on in their divisions, and as a bonus, PUF Executive Editor Steve Mitnick talked with Secretary of Energy for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Rebecca Tepper.

“Most utilities are accustomed to smart meters providing 15-minute interval data — sometimes every hour. But for grid modernization to succeed in a decentralized energy economy, that’s not fast enough. BEC’s Apolloware operates with 1-2 second data resolution, enabling near-instantaneous visibility.”

“This method of using the least expensive pigments to establish the foundation of a painting before applying the more costly and necessary color was a lesson that carried forward and informed my role as a state utility regulator.”