News Stories

On March 16^th in the Massachusetts DPU’s Notice of Inquiry on Energy Affordability for Residential Ratepayers, the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) reply comments on motions for clarification  saying that it shares LEAN-MEDA’s concerns regarding ambiguities and the order’s impacts on low-income customers, especially those in the highest tier.  CLF’s motion also supported the utilities’ request for a technical session.

Previously on March 9^th the utilities filed a joint motion for clarification) requesting “clarification on the use of future dates to establish the discount rates used in the tiered discount framework.

In its joint motion for clarification the utilities requested “a technical session to discuss implementation elements of the tiered discount rate.”

Also on March 9^th, Low-Income Energy Affordability Network and Massachusetts Energy Directors (LEAN-MEDA) filed a motion for clarification on ambiguities and seeming contradictions between affordability goals and statutory text and the decrease in discounts for the highest-income low-income tier.

As a reminder the Massachusetts DPU initiated this inquiry to examine energy burden with a focus on energy affordability for residential ratepayers and to consider improvements to the programs currently offered to address energy affordability, including participation in existing programs and the creation of new programs.