An Assessment of Equity in Massachusetts’ Energy Storage Programs

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a national leader in clean energy policy. In recent years, it has adopted ambitious energy storage procurement targets supported by innovative policies and programs, which are entering a period of internal review. The Commonwealth also has a long-held commitment to equity in its clean energy programs. Against this backdrop, Clean Energy Group contracted with the Applied Economics Clinic, a consulting firm specializing in energy, climate, and environment and social equity, to provide an analysis of the equity provisions in three Massachusetts energy storage programs: ConnectedSolutions, the SMART solar program, and the Clean Peak Standard. The resulting report, Energy Storage Equity: An Assessment of Three Massachusetts Programs, concludes that these energy storage-incentivizing programs, while groundbreaking in many ways, have not yet lived up to the Commonwealth’s clean energy equity commitments.

In this webinar, report authors discussed their findings and shared examples from other states with model equity provisions that could be adapted and applied to the statewide programs in Massachusetts. They were joined by representatives from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.

Panelists:

• Todd Olinsky-Paul, Clean Energy Group
• Tanya Stasio, Applied Economics Clinic
• Samantha Meserve, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
• Elischia Fludd, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (Discussion and Q&A)