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To reconcile differences in previous energy bills, the Massachusetts Senate has adopted a conference committee report.  The conference committee report strikes the Senate’s originally passed prohibition on individual residential electric choice, with the conference committee report favoring the House’s stance on the issue.

“Report of the committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two branches with reference to the House amendment to the Senate Bill upgrading the grid and protecting ratepayers (Senate, No. 2838) (amended by the House by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting in place thereof the text of House document numbered 4884; and by striking out the title and inserting in place thereof a new title),– reports, a “Bill promoting a clean energy grid, advancing equity and protecting ratepayers.” (S2967)

Note that S2967 is the new bill number whereby the conference committee version of the bill must still pass the House.

See bill text here. 

Among other things, S2967 retains certain retail market enhancements passed by the House.

As previously reported, the Senate-passed version of the bill (then S.2838) had included language providing that, “On or after January 1, 2026, no supplier, energy marketer or energy broker shall execute a new contract or renew an existing contract for generation services with any individual residential retail customer”. 

The House struck this provision in passing S.2838 and the new conference committee report adopts the House’s treatment of this matter, and the conference committee report where it does not prohibit individual residential electric choice.

The conference committee report also requires the implementation of the following retail market enhancements (which were already agreed to by the House in the House’s version of S.2838):

Accelerated switching (3 business days) for residential or small commercial customers, upon full AMI deployment.

Contract portability for a customer moving within an EDC service area, allowing the customer to be served by their existing retail supplier at the new location, with no interim period on default service.

Day 1 switching, allowing customers to take retail supplier service immediately upon service initiation, without being placed on default service for an interim period.

S.2967 also requires the development of a portal for customer AMI data, and retail supplier access to such, “subject to appropriate customer approval and protections”.

However, S.2967 also does not include the removal of the current statutory provision which limits the term length of basic service wholesale supply contracts to 6 months, as the earlier Senate bill had done.