Bill
H 3499
Expands solar incentives to renters and low‑income households by creating streamlined eligibility, protections, and monthly crediting to increase access and participation.
Status snapshot
- Introduced (first reading): 2025‑01‑14 (prefiled 2024‑12‑05)
- Referred to: Committee on Ways & Means (1/14/2025); then Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy (2/27/2025)
- Sponsor(s): Rep. Danielle W. Gregoire; member name added: Frank (2/6/2025)
- Hearing scheduled: 10/09/2025 (A‑2)
- Classification: joint resolution / bill to amend statute (adds a new section to Chapter 164)
- Note: the legislative text includes unrelated material from a South Carolina joint resolution that appears to be extraneous; the summary below focuses on the Massachusetts statutory language.
Purpose and intent
- Require the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to ensure equity and accessibility for renters and low‑income retail electric customers in the Commonwealth’s solar incentive program (the 2016 Chapter 75, §11 program and any successor program).
- Facilitate participation of low‑income households, renters, small businesses, and low‑income multi‑unit buildings in solar and shared/community solar incentive structures.
Key provisions (summary)
- Definition of eligible "low‑income customer":
- Household income at or below 80% of area median income (AMI) or at or below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL); OR
- A qualifying small business (as defined under applicable federal SBA standards).
- Low‑income multi‑unit housing:
- Buildings that meet M.G.L. c.40B §20 or that receive federal Low‑Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) qualify as one Low‑Income Customer.
- Verification requirements (DOER must implement):
- Require income data verification. Acceptable proofs include participation in specified assistance programs (e.g., Medicaid, SSI, TANF, WIC, LIHEAP, SNAP, Head Start, National School Lunch Program, EAEDC, Public Housing, TAFDC, certain veterans’ benefits, fuel assistance), residency or business location in a Census block group with median income ≤ 200% FPL or ≤ 80% AMI (whichever is greater), ownership/occupancy of qualifying low‑income multi‑unit housing (including master‑metered buildings), pay stubs/W‑2, or any verification method authorized by the U.S. Treasury for ITC adders under P.L. 117‑169 §13103(2)(C).
- Consumer protections and program access:
- Prohibit credit checks as a condition of establishing eligibility for residential subscribers.
- Prohibit early‑termination and exit fees for residential customers.
- Require distribution companies (when using DPU‑approved on‑bill crediting alternatives) to accept and implement owner‑provided changes to designated credit recipients and credit amounts at least monthly.
- Exempt low‑income multi‑unit building owners from bill‑credit maximums and from minimum subscriber count requirements for the host project.
- Rulemaking timeline:
- DOER must promulgate implementing regulations within 180 days of enactment.
Who would be affected
- Primary beneficiaries: renters, low‑ and moderate‑income households (≤ 80% AMI or ≤ 200% FPL), occupants/owners of qualifying low‑income multi‑unit housing, and qualifying small businesses.
- Service providers/operators: solar developers, owners of distributed generation (DG) facilities, community/shared solar project hosts.
- Utilities/distribution companies and the Dept. of Public Utilities (DPU): systems and processes for on‑bill crediting and monthly allocation updates may require operational/IT changes.
- DOER: responsible for verification rules and program adjustments; must adopt regulations within 180 days.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Increases access to solar incentives for low‑income households and renters by lowering enrollment barriers (no credit checks; no exit fees; flexible verification).
- Enables multi‑unit and master‑metered properties to participate more fully (single‑customer qualification; exemptions from subscriber/credit caps).
- Likely operational impacts for utilities and project owners to support more frequent (monthly) credit allocation changes and to accommodate alternative on‑bill crediting mechanisms.
- Administrative burden on DOER for rulemaking and on program administrators to verify eligibility using a range of documents and federal/state program cross‑checks.
- May increase demand for community/shared solar projects targeted at low‑income customers and could influence project design, financing, and the structuring of subscriber credits.
Next steps
- DOER rulemaking if the bill is enacted (180‑day deadline).
- Committee hearings (hearing scheduled 10/09/2025) and further legislative action expected following committee review.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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