Bill
H 3519
Creates a 12-member commission to study whether MA should require rooftop solar with storage on new buildings, and issue recommendations and proposed legislation by Jan 1, 2026.
Status note (important)
- The official bill packet contains mismatched text: the core Massachusetts bill language posted for House No. 3519 addresses a legislative commission to study rooftop solar for new buildings. However, the packet also contains unrelated South Carolina statutory text concerning out-of-state subpoenas and search warrants for electronic data. A scrivener’s error was noted/corrected on 02/05/2025. Readers should treat the Massachusetts commission language below as the intended H.3519 and verify the final enrolled text if relying on the bill for legal or procedural action.
Purpose and intent
- Establish a special legislative commission to study the feasibility of requiring rooftop solar energy systems (and associated battery storage) on new buildings in Massachusetts and to produce recommendations and draft legislation.
Key provisions
- Creates a Special Legislative Commission on Solar Rooftop Energy on New Buildings under G.L. c.4, §2A.
- Commission membership (12 total):
- Commissioner of Energy Resources (or designee), plus 11 appointees by the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs representing:
- commercial real estate
- residential real estate
- organized labor
- solar energy industry
- environmental group focused on energy
- construction industry
- electric utility or utility trade organization
- local government
- energy siting expert
- solar energy/energy efficiency expert
- Charge of the commission:
- Thorough review of policies/procedures related to solar energy systems, battery storage, and building construction under the base, stretch, and specialized stretch energy codes (cited: G.L. c.25A §6 and G.L. c.143 §§93–100).
- Produce a feasibility report on (at minimum):
1. Feasibility of requiring rooftop solar on new buildings.
2. Feasibility of pairing energy storage systems with rooftop solar.
3. How the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) can help advance Commonwealth goals under Chapter 298 (Acts of 2008) and statewide greenhouse gas limits in Chapter 21N.
4. Policy and legislative recommendations (including draft legislation) regarding solar and battery storage on new buildings.
- Deliverable: Commission must file its report, recommendations, and draft legislation with the House and Senate clerks by January 1, 2026.
Who/what would be affected
- If the commission’s recommendations lead to legislation, potential impacts include:
- New building owners, developers, and builders (installation requirements, design, and cost implications).
- Solar and battery storage industry (market expansion; permitting and interconnection demand).
- Electric utilities and grid operators (interconnection, net metering/rate design, grid planning).
- Local permitting authorities and municipalities (code enforcement, zoning, inspections).
- Labor and workforce training programs (installation workforce demand).
- State energy/climate policy implementation toward GHG targets.
- As introduced, the bill itself creates only a study body; no immediate building requirements or funding changes.
Procedural and timeline notes
- Prefiled: 12/05/2024; introduced/read first time: 01/14/2025.
- Referred: Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy (02/27/2025). Some records show prior Judiciary referrals—likely reflecting the scrivener error; verify committee assignment in the official legislative journal.
- Scrivener’s error corrected: 02/05/2025.
- Senate concurrence recorded: 02/27/2025.
- Hearing scheduled: 10/09/2025 (01:00–05:00 PM, A‑2).
- Report due from commission: January 1, 2026.
Potential follow-up
- The commission’s report may propose statutory or regulatory changes. Any legislative outcome requiring rooftop solar or storage would involve additional rulemaking (e.g., state building codes), utility regulatory proceedings (DPU), and budget or incentive considerations to address cost and equity concerns.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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