Environment

This bill creates a public dashboard showing how residential energy bills are calculated, including detailed breakdowns of charges from gas and electric companies and explanations of each bill component. It requires energy companies to submit quarterly reports on rates, customer data, and clean energy program costs, and mandates the dashboard include analysis of benefits like reduced emissions, system reliability, and avoided energy costs. The bill also requires utilities to return 70% of certain clean energy payments directly to ratepayers through annual bill credits. These changes apply to Massachusetts residential electricity and gas customers and affect all energy companies operating in the state.

This bill allows the Town of Westford to release specific agricultural preservation restrictions on three parcels of land (20-E-1, 20-GR-PUE-2, and 20-PUE-14) owned by Westford Gateway, LLC. The land is needed by MassDOT for the Boston Road rehabilitation project. To compensate, MassDOT must provide Westford with funding equal to at least 110% of the land's fair market value, deposited into the town's Community Preservation Fund for acquiring replacement conservation or agricultural land within three years. The replacement land must match the original in location, natural resource value, acreage, and monetary value. The release applies only to these parcels, leaving other agricultural restrictions intact.