Backed By AG, Bills Filed With Legislature To End Residential Electric Choice

With support from Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, companion bills have been introduced into the Massachusetts state legislature that would ban new competitive electric supply contracts for individual residential customers beginning in 2020.

The inclusion of residential customers in municipal aggregations would not be impacted by the bill and would continue to be authorized.

The bills, HD 1204/SD 880, are sponsored by Representative Frank Moran (D-Lawrence) and Senator James Welch (D-West Springfield)

SD 880 provides that, "Beginning on January 1, 2020, no supplier, energy marketer, or energy broker shall execute a new contract for generation services with any individual residential retail customer. This provision shall not apply to, or otherwise affect, any government body that aggregates the load of residential retail customers as part of a municipal aggregation plan pursuant to chapter 164, § 134. Any violation of this provision shall be deemed an unfair and deceptive act pursuant to the provisions of chapter 93A, and the attorney general is hereby authorized to bring an action under section 4 of chapter 93A to enforce this provision and to obtain restitution, civil penalties, injunctive relief, and any other relief awarded pursuant to said chapter 93A."

The text refers only to "new" contracts, and the language is silent with respect to existing contracts, or renewals thereof

Attorney General Healey had previously called for the end of residential choice in releasing a study showing that retail supplier customers paid $176 million more than what they would have paid under default service for the period July 2015 to June 2017 (see prior story for details)