Update from MMA
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE BILL
The Legislature’s water infrastructure finance bill would add $50 million to the state revolving loan fund administered by the Water Pollution Abatement Trust (now renamed the Clean Water Trust). Currently, the SRF program is capped at $88 million a year, and the bill would raise the program up to $138 million. In the past, the WPAT did not release all available funds, and this legislation requires the state to release at least 80% to cities and towns. Further, the program will provide subsidized loans and/or principal forgiveness to more communities due to the increased capacity. The bill also includes, at local option, the ability for communities to assess up to a 3% property tax surcharge to raise funds for water infrastructure related projects. Unfortunately, the final bill did not include “water banking,” an innovative funding mechanism that would allow communities to create additional capacity for economic growth by charging fees to fund necessary water and sewer infrastructure improvements for new developments. The Senate included water banking in its version of the bill, but the House, under pressure from the development community, balked and with time running out in the session, the measure did not remain in the bill. The MMA will continue to prioritize this important tool.
Click here for a copy of the water infrastructure finance bill
http://malegislature.gov/
The Legislature’s water infrastructure finance bill would add $50 million to the state revolving loan fund administered by the Water Pollution Abatement Trust (now renamed the Clean Water Trust). Currently, the SRF program is capped at $88 million a year, and the bill would raise the program up to $138 million. In the past, the WPAT did not release all available funds, and this legislation requires the state to release at least 80% to cities and towns. Further, the program will provide subsidized loans and/or principal forgiveness to more communities due to the increased capacity. The bill also includes, at local option, the ability for communities to assess up to a 3% property tax surcharge to raise funds for water infrastructure related projects. Unfortunately, the final bill did not include “water banking,” an innovative funding mechanism that would allow communities to create additional capacity for economic growth by charging fees to fund necessary water and sewer infrastructure improvements for new developments. The Senate included water banking in its version of the bill, but the House, under pressure from the development community, balked and with time running out in the session, the measure did not remain in the bill. The MMA will continue to prioritize this important tool.
Click here for a copy of the water infrastructure finance bill
http://malegislature.gov/
Comment - Chapter 93 Acts of 2000 precludes Templeton from accessing funding fron the Clean Water Trust
SOLAR NET METERING BILL
Cities and towns have been very successful in promoting important solar energy projects, so successful that municipalities are now being stalled because of the statutory limit in the amount of solar energy that can be returned to the grid or sold to the utilities. The statutory cap on “net metering” needs to be lifted in order to make additional solar projects viable. Municipalities, environmentalists and solar developers joined forces to remove the cap on solar net metering, but some large utilities resisted strongly. In the end, the Legislature passed a compromise bill that would offer a temporary solution by raising the net metering cap by enough to allow those municipal projects that have been stalled to now go forward. However, it is expected that this problem will re-emerge next year, which will renew calls for a permanent solution.
Click here for a copy of the solar net metering bill
http://malegislature.gov/
Cities and towns have been very successful in promoting important solar energy projects, so successful that municipalities are now being stalled because of the statutory limit in the amount of solar energy that can be returned to the grid or sold to the utilities. The statutory cap on “net metering” needs to be lifted in order to make additional solar projects viable. Municipalities, environmentalists and solar developers joined forces to remove the cap on solar net metering, but some large utilities resisted strongly. In the end, the Legislature passed a compromise bill that would offer a temporary solution by raising the net metering cap by enough to allow those municipal projects that have been stalled to now go forward. However, it is expected that this problem will re-emerge next year, which will renew calls for a permanent solution.
Click here for a copy of the solar net metering bill
http://malegislature.gov/
Solve the problem!!
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