An Act relative to fair and stable utility pricing

This bill establishes an inflation cap on electricity rates for all customers, limiting annual increases to the previous year's Consumer Price Index (CPI) growth starting March 1, 2026. It requires electric companies to seek department approval and provide 60 days' public notice before implementing any rate increase, including mandatory public hearings. The department must review rate proposals, can suspend proposed changes, and must periodically reassess rates to ensure they remain fair. Additionally, the bill mandates performance-based rate structures tied to service quality standards (like outage response and customer service), excluding marketing costs from rate calculations. These changes directly affect electricity customers and utility companies in Massachusetts.