Massachusetts wants to be a clean energy technology leader while providing affordable electricity through its reliable electric grid. But large-scale advanced energy projects–including solar, wind, storage, and grid infrastructure–have been mired in cumbersome bureaucratic processes, causing years-long delays in projects getting built.

The poor processes made project timelines unpredictable, making it difficult for developers to invest and for the Commonwealth to meet its energy needs.

Making these fixes also seemed daunting for policymakers. There were so many issues standing in the way, and so many stakeholders had opinions about what fixes were needed.

Modifications of this magnitude required not just a change in rules, but a shift in mindset. Well over a year before legislation was even proposed, Advanced Energy United was convening state policy leaders about the roadblocks the industry was facing. It was clear policymakers needed to appreciate the scope of the problem, and how our technologies are the solution to their energy goals.

In March of 2023, Advanced Energy United convened a unique town hall event, Building Energy Infrastructure: Lessons from the Big Dig, at Greentown Labs in Somerville, MA, for an inspiring discussion about the importance of embracing big infrastructure achievements. Featuring state and national leaders, including Rebecca Tepper of the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Maria Robinson (then overseeing the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office), and Joe Curtatone of Northeast Clean Energy Council (NECEC), the conversation connected the dots between a previous transportation infrastructure project, and the commitment needed from the region today to realize their energy goals and create an economy built on more resilient and homegrown energy solutions.

Massachusetts then convened the Commission on Clean Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting, and selected Advanced Energy United as the sole business association to take part.

Out of that commission came a recommendation for a package of legislation that Advanced Energy United, leveraging sustained and deep engagement with decisionmakers, then championed across the finish line by the end of 2023.

“An Act promoting a clean energy grid, advancing equity, and protecting ratepayers” was signed into law, opening the door to greater investment from, and more opportunity for, advanced energy companies in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Thanks to Advanced Energy United’s sustained engagement with policymakers and a newly secured legislative victory, large-scale advanced energy projects will experience consolidated permitting processes and more predictable approval timelines.

In addition to streamlined permitting and siting rules, Advanced Energy United also secured in the legislation a provision that will require utilities to integrate advanced transmission technologies (ATTs) and advanced conductors, to improve grid reliability and performance, as well as an energy storage procurement target to ensure utilities are pairing storage with renewables to maximize their effectiveness and value, and avoid more costly clean-firm options.