SUMMARY

Section 84 of Chapter 179 of the Acts of 2022, An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind, created a municipal opt-in building electrification demonstration project administered by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER).  

Communities in the project are authorized to opt-in to the all-electric pathway of the existing opt-in Specialized Code. The program is currently limited to the 10 municipalities who have already filed Home Rule Petitions with the legislature. These first 10 communities, representing close to 6% of the State’s population, are wealthier and have relatively small environmental justice populations. 

It is not equitable or just to allow only ten “first-come first-serve” communities the option to adopt a healthy, all-electric building code, while prohibiting other municipalities from adopting a superior fossil fuel free building code, including municipalities with large Environmental Justice (EJ) populations and high rates of new construction.   

This bill, An Act Expanding Access to the Fossil Fuel Free Demonstration Project, would:

• Remove the 10 community participation cap AND

• Eliminate the requirement that a community must file a home rule petition 

This bill only covers new construction and major renovations, comprising a very small percentage of total construction.   

Printable Fact Sheets and PowerPoint slides:

PowerPoint slides for An Act Expanding Access to the Fossil Fuel Free Demonstration Project

General fact sheet for An Act Expanding Access to the Fossil Fuel Free Demonstration Project

Labor fact sheet for An Act Expanding Access to the Fossil Fuel Free Demonstration Project

Affordable Housing fact sheet for An Act Expanding Access to the Fossil Fuel Free Demonstration Project

Electrical Grid fact sheet for An Act Expanding Access to the Fossil Fuel Free Demonstration Project