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H3568 • 2025

An Act relative to prohibiting public utility and ratepayer funding of clearcutting forests and woodlands

An Act relative to prohibiting public utility and ratepayer funding of clearcutting forests and woodlands

Energy
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Aaron L. Saunders
Last action
2026-04-06
Official status
Accompanied a study order, see H5323
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to prohibiting public utility and ratepayer funding of clearcutting forests and woodlands

An Act relative to prohibiting public utility and ratepayer funding of clearcutting forests and woodlands By Representative Saunders of Belchertown, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to prohibiting public utility and ratepayer funding of clearcutting forests and woodlands By Representative Saunders of Belchertown, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 3568) of Aaron L.
  • Saunders relative to prohibiting public utility and ratepayer funding of clearcutting forests and woodlands.
  • Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-06 House

    Accompanied a study order, see H5323

  2. 2025-12-04 House

    Reporting date extended to Wednesday, March 18, 2026

  3. 2025-09-02 House

    Reporting date extended to Wednesday, December 3, 2025

  4. 2025-05-28 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 06/04/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  5. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

  6. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to prohibiting public utility and ratepayer funding of clearcutting forests and woodlands
By Representative Saunders of Belchertown, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3568) of Aaron L. Saunders relative to prohibiting public utility and ratepayer funding of clearcutting forests and woodlands. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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Bill H.3568

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the department of energy resources and department of public utilities shall amend any rules, regulations, and tariffs pursuant to section 11 of chapter 75 of the acts of 2016 or successor statute to prohibit from qualification any solar facility, including any solar energy generating source, that (1) has not received a statement of qualification, or similar official notice of approval, from the department prior to January 1, 2025

and (2) is greater than or equal to nameplate capacity of 500kW if such facility meets any of the following criteria:

(i)

is located within a parcel that includes priority habitat as delineated by the division of fisheries and wildlife under chapter 131A

(ii)

is located within an area of critical environmental concern as designated by the secretary of energy and environmental affairs

(iii) is located within forest land as defined in section 2 of chapter 61 of the general laws

SECTION 2. A prohibition established in Section 1 shall not apply to facilities located within a brownfield or within eligible landfills as determined by the commissioner of the department of energy resources; nor shall such prohibition apply to building mounted facilities or facilities sited upon previously developed land.

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