Undersecretary outlines energy reforms, calls for DPU rate review and highlights clean‑energy gains

Undersecretary Maria Power and staff presented the council with an overview of proposed energy reforms aimed at stabilizing bills and accelerating clean‑energy deployment.

The presentation reviewed long‑term procurement strategies, the role of contracts and integrated planning, and consumer protection measures. The presenter cited historical system changes and said the state has added roughly 6,700 megawatts of new clean generation capacity and on the order of 4,000 MWh of distributed solar over the past decade (speaker provided these as program‑level figures and discussed them as context for procurement and planning). The office said it has asked the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to conduct a comprehensive review of rate design and to consider steps that would strengthen consumer protections and limit predatory supplier behavior.

Staff described existing customer discount and assistance programs and encouraged eligible residents to contact their utility providers to determine enrollment criteria. "Sim, já tá participa na grande variedade de programas que está disponível," the presenter said when asked about program availability. Speakers noted tradeoffs: long‑term contracts can lower costs but require careful procurement design and transparency; some technologies (the presenter referenced small modular reactors and geothermals as emerging options) raise different regulatory and planning questions.

Council members asked about municipal planning overlap, submetering in multifamily housing, protections for tenants and non‑English speakers, and how financing mechanisms (including nonprofit models) might be used to spread upfront costs. Staff said program design aims to avoid placing disproportionate burdens on low‑income customers and to provide financing options that spread costs over long benefit streams.

The council did not vote on policy changes at this meeting. Members asked staff to return with materials and options so the council can review proposed DPU steps and consumer‑protection measures at a future session.