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

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced that bills (SD674 / HD1614) have been re-filed with the Massachusetts legislature that would ban new competitive electric supply contracts for individual residential customers beginning in 2022.

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

The companion bills provide, "Beginning on January 1, 2022, 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

The bills are sponsored by Senator Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) and Representative Frank Moran (D-Lawrence)

Similar bills have been filed in prior legislative sessions.