An Act facilitating public ownership of public utilities
Generates a plain-language summary of the bill text and history.
| Date | Branch | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 4/6/2026 | House | Accompanied a study order, see H5323↗ |
| 12/4/2025 | House | Reporting date extended to Wednesday, March 18, 2026 |
| 9/8/2025 | House | Reporting date extended to Wednesday, December 3, 2025 |
| 6/5/2025 | Joint | Hearing scheduled for 06/12/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2 |
| 2/27/2025 | Senate | Senate concurred |
| 2/27/2025 | House | Referred to the committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy |
| Committee | Recommendation | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| J37 | Accompanied | — |
(a) There shall be a task force to study and make actionable recommendations to the general court for public ownership of (i) natural gas making, distribution, supply, purchase and sale and (ii) electricity generation and distribution to commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout the commonwealth. The task force shall be comprised of the following members or their designees: the house and senate chairs of the committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy; the house and senate chairs of the committee on municipalities and regional government; the attorney general; the president of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, Inc.; the president of the Environmental League of Massachusetts, Inc.; the executive director of the Better Future Project; the chair of the Executive Committee for the Massachusetts chapter of the Sierra Club; 1 representative of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers appointed from each of the following local unions located in the commonwealth: Boston (LU 103), Brockton (LU 223), Springfield (LU 7) and Worcester (LU 96) and a representative from IBEW Local Union 99, who is a resident of the commonwealth; 1 representative of the United Steel Workers appointed from each local of USW District 4 in the commonwealth, including 1 representative of United Steel Workers Local 12003 and 1 representative of United Steel Workers 12012-04, the chair of the board of the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company, 4 representatives from Environmental Justice focused organization with geographic diversity across the Commonwealth. The task force shall consult with other individuals who have relevant expertise as needed. (b) The task force shall study and make recommendations on the following: (i) state-wide state, municipal or cooperative ownership of (1) natural gas making, distribution, supply, purchase and sale, and transition to renewables and (2) electricity generation and distribution to commercial, industrial and residential customers in cities, suburban regions and rural areas. The task force shall also study and investigate the state of Nebraska’s “Neighbor’s First” model of public ownership by municipal utilities, electric cooperatives or public power districts; (ii) the performance of private utilities versus publicly owned utilities; (iii) the governance structure of public ownership of (1) natural gas making, distribution, supply, purchase and sale and (2) electricity generation and distribution to commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout the commonwealth, including but not limited to: (a) cost of infrastructure, including development of construction projects that benefit the state as a whole but are too big or too expensive for any 1 municipal or regional entity, such as, geothermal power plants, offshore wind farms or “pumped storage” hydropower facilities that can bank electricity from solar or wind farms; the handling of so called “stranded assets” for example, the cost of gas distribution assets that will not be fully depreciated and financed before they are retired under current ownership; (b) cost savings, and fair and equitable rates for all consumers; (c) access to low cost debt; (d) ability to facilitate rapid transition to net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 and 100 per cent renewable energy by 2040 (e) access to new technology; (f) productivity; (g) union participation; (h) service to large cities suburban regions, densely populated rural areas and sparsely populated rural areas; (i) profits from publicly owned utilities that can be made available for cross subsidization for other public services, such as public transportation; and (iv) the commonwealth as a shareholder of privately owned electric companies and gas companies. (v) coordination of the use of current and future electric and gas infrastructure within the commonwealth, including replacement of gas distribution infrastructure and end uses with electric generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure and end uses.
(a) The task force shall meet not less than monthly. The task force shall recommend to the general court acceptable policy terms for the public ownership of (i) natural gas making, distribution, supply, purchase and sale and (ii) electricity generation and distribution to commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout the commonwealth by the year 2028. That report, along with a joint petition shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives the title of which is as follows: "An act approving the recommendations of the task force of public ownership of (i) natural gas making, distribution, supply, purchase and sale and (ii) electricity generation and distribution to commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout the commonwealth " shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the chairs of the house and senate committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy and the house and senate chairs of the committee on municipalities and regional government on or before January 1, 2027.
This act shall take effect upon its passage.
SECTION 1. (a) There shall be a task force to study and make actionable recommendations to the general court for public ownership of (i) natural gas making, distribution, supply, purchase and sale and (ii) electricity generation and distribution to commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout the commonwealth. The task force shall be comprised of the following members or their designees: the house and senate chairs of the committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy; the house and senate chairs of the committee on municipalities and regional government; the attorney general; the president of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, Inc.; the president of the Environmental League of Massachusetts, Inc.; the executive director of the Better Future Project; the chair of the Executive Committee for the Massachusetts chapter of the Sierra Club; 1 representative of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers appointed from each of the following local unions located in the commonwealth: Boston (LU 103), Brockton (LU 223), Springfield (LU 7) and Worcester (LU 96) and a representative from IBEW Local Union 99, who is a resident of the commonwealth; 1 representative of the United Steel Workers appointed from each local of USW District 4 in the commonwealth, including 1 representative of United Steel Workers Local 12003 and 1 representative of United Steel Workers 12012-04, the chair of the board of the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company, 4 representatives from Environmental Justice focused organization with geographic diversity across the Commonwealth. The task force shall consult with other individuals who have relevant expertise as needed. (b) The task force shall study and make recommendations on the following: (i) state-wide state, municipal or cooperative ownership of (1) natural gas making, distribution, supply, purchase and sale, and transition to renewables and (2) electricity generation and distribution to commercial, industrial and residential customers in cities, suburban regions and rural areas. The task force shall also study and investigate the state of Nebraska’s “Neighbor’s First” model of public ownership by municipal utilities, electric cooperatives or public power districts; (ii) the performance of private utilities versus publicly owned utilities; (iii) the governance structure of public ownership of (1) natural gas making, distribution, supply, purchase and sale and (2) electricity generation and distribution to commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout the commonwealth, including but not limited to: (a) cost of infrastructure, including development of construction projects that benefit the state as a whole but are too big or too expensive for any 1 municipal or regional entity, such as, geothermal power plants, offshore wind farms or “pumped storage” hydropower facilities that can bank electricity from solar or wind farms; the handling of so called “stranded assets” for example, the cost of gas distribution assets that will not be fully depreciated and financed before they are retired under current ownership; (b) cost savings, and fair and equitable rates for all consumers; (c) access to low cost debt; (d) ability to facilitate rapid transition to net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 and 100 per cent renewable energy by 2040 (e) access to new technology; (f) productivity; (g) union participation; (h) service to large cities suburban regions, densely populated rural areas and sparsely populated rural areas; (i) profits from publicly owned utilities that can be made available for cross subsidization for other public services, such as public transportation; and (iv) the commonwealth as a shareholder of privately owned electric companies and gas companies. (v) coordination of the use of current and future electric and gas infrastructure within the commonwealth, including replacement of gas distribution infrastructure and end uses with electric generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure and end uses. SECTION 2. (a) The task force shall meet not less than monthly. The task force shall recommend to the general court acceptable policy terms for the public ownership of (i) natural gas making, distribution, supply, purchase and sale and (ii) electricity generation and distribution to commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout the commonwealth by the year 2028. That report, along with a joint petition shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives the title of which is as follows: "An act approving the recommendations of the task force of public ownership of (i) natural gas making, distribution, supply, purchase and sale and (ii) electricity generation and distribution to commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout the commonwealth " shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the chairs of the house and senate committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy and the house and senate chairs of the committee on municipalities and regional government on or before January 1, 2027. SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage.