An Act relative to fair and stable utility pricing

This bill aims to regulate utility pricing in Massachusetts by limiting how much electricity rates can rise and requiring stricter oversight of proposed changes. It directly affects electric distribution companies and their customers by capping annual rate increases to match the inflation rate and mandating a 60-day public notice period before any rate hikes take effect. The legislation also requires the state department to hold public hearings on proposed rate changes and gives officials the power to suspend these changes pending review. Additionally, the bill authorizes the creation of performance-based rates that tie utility compensation to service quality standards, such as outage frequency and customer satisfaction, while excluding marketing costs from rate calculations.