Please contact your state legislators re co-sponsoring these bills!

[Katy Eiseman]

Hi, all:  I'm flagging 3 bills that should be of particular interest to people on the anti-pipeline listservs - they are aimed at stopping the DPU rubber-stamping of gas contracts.  Please ask your state reps and senators to co-sponsor these bills!:

HD.3178 (filed by Rep. Blais): an updated version of Rep. Kulik's "DPU Reform" bill, addressing all kinds of ways the DPU can abuse discretion when it comes to reviewing pipeline contracts and related matters.  Fact sheet attached (House bill aren't yet online).

SD.1793: (filed by Sen. Comerford): 

(All of this is included in the Blais DPU bill in the House)

-Requires DPU to consider specific public interest factors (including environment, climate, health) in pipeline capacity contract review; 

- Requires gas utilities to solicit competitive bids for energy solutions with lower greenhouse emissions prior to seeking DPU approval of contracts that call for expanding gas infrastructure; and

- Prohibits DPU approval of contracts that call for expanding gas infrastructure if the petitioning gas utility is the subject of an ongoing NTSB investigation, and voids already approved contracts if the utility becomes the subject of an NTSB investigation before the project is built.

SD.1603: (filed by Sen. Hinds): 

(All of this is included in the Blais DPU bill in the House)

- Requires DPU to consider specific public interest factors (including environment, climate, health) in pipeline capacity contract review; and

- Requires the DPU to allow the following parties to intervene: groups of 10 or more ratepayers of the petitioning utility; municipalities within the utility's service area; and legislators who represent ratepayers of the utility.

(Please note that these are temporary bill docket numbers, hence "HD" or "SD" - they will have new docket numbers once they have all their co-sponsors.)

Thanks,

Katy

Kathryn R. Eiseman

Director, Massachusetts PipeLine Awareness Network

President, Pipe Line Awareness Network for the Northeast, Inc.

(413) 320-0747

www.plan-ne.org