Chapter 276
2012 -- S 2186 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 06/19/12
A N A C T
RELATING TO
STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- THE
PETROLEUM
SAVINGS AND
Introduced By: Senators DiPalma, Miller, Felag, Bates, and Sosnowski
Date Introduced: January 24, 2012
It is enacted by the
General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE
AFFAIRS AND
GOVERNMENT" is hereby
amended by adding thereto the following chapter:
CHAPTER
140.4
THE
COMMISSION
42-140.4-1.
Establishment of commission -- Purposes. – (a) There
is hereby authorized,
created and established an advisory commission to be known as
“The
savings and independence advisory commission” with the powers
and duties set forth in this
chapter.
(b) The purposes of
this commission are to:
(1) To reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants from the associated use of
petroleum;
(2) To make
recommendations to the governor, general assembly, and public utilities
commission on how to reduce petroleum-based fuel consumption in
(3) To provide input
into decisions regarding fossil fuels in the state and to inform the
public and elected and appointed state officials of such
opportunities, decisions, and
implementation;
(4) To monitor and
evaluate the effectiveness of state policies and programs to reduce
petroleum-based fuel consumption; and
(5) To consider and
evaluate in-state marketing for advanced biofuels,
electric cars,
efficiency programs for heating oil customers, and low level
blends of bio-diesel across segments
of the heating and transportation sector in order to
keep more energy dollars in
(6) To act on matters
related to reducing petroleum consumption from the heating and
transportation sectors in the state including, but not limited to,
the creation of a petroleum savings
and independence plan (“Plan”) that includes a report,
drawing on existing data and studies rather
than new analyses, on petroleum consumption in
dependence on the state. The report must consider:
(A) Future petroleum
costs to the drivers, homeowners, industries, and businesses of
(B)
Environmental, public health, and national security consequences of
petroleum dependence;
(C) Local economic
development opportunities, including job creation potential, of
improving energy efficiency and moving to clean, renewable,
in-state energy sources;
(D) Proposed targets
for reducing
equals the maximum economically achievable savings. The
targets may not provide less than a
thirty percent (30%) overall reduction in petroleum
consumption from 2007 levels by 2030 and a
fifty percent (50%) overall reduction from 2007 levels by
2050; and
(E) Recommendations of
the near-term and long-range strategies to achieve significant
reductions in petroleum consumption to the governor, speaker of
the house, president of the
senate, and public utilities commission. The recommendations
shall include, but not be limited to
the following:
(i)
Promoting and incentivizing transportation alternatives to personal vehicle
use,
including expanding, investing in, and ensuring sustainable
funding for public transportation
including rail options, and offering incentives for commuters
to use public transportation where
available;
(ii) Promoting and
incentivizing other practices to reduce fuel use in transportation,
including fuel efficient vehicles and carpooling, and
establishing rebates or other consumer
incentives for retiring older, inefficient vehicles;
(iii) The rapid
deployment of electric vehicles, through a combination of policies that
include comprehensive planning with utilities, investments in
electric vehicle infrastructure, and
consumer tax incentives;
(iv)
The implementation of “clean fuels” standards requiring
transportation fuels above a
certain emissions target to purchase offsets from fuel
sources that produce lower carbon
emissions;
(v) Coordinating land
use and transportation planning where sensible to pursue “complete
streets” policies that create walkable
and bikeable communities with access to public
transit
options, and to encourage growth in areas accessible by
walking, biking, and public
transportation;
(vi)
Where possible, measures to reduce fuel use in aviation;
(vii) Diversifying
energy sources for heating by expanding renewable sources;
(viii) Creating
programs to deliver home and commercial weatherization and efficiency
improvements for households using oil for heat; and
(ix) Adopting other
strategies that can help enable
reduction targets.
(c) The commission
shall report to the general assembly by April 2013 with
recommendations for specific legislative and administrative actions.
By February 2014, and by
February every two (2) years thereafter, the advisory
commission shall evaluate the state’s
progress toward meeting the petroleum-reduction goals and
update the plan to make additional
recommendations as necessary to ensure that the state meets such
goals.
42-140.4-2.
Composition of the commission. – (a) The commission shall consist of
seventeen (17) voting members as follows:
(1) The director of
the department of environmental management, or designee;
(2) The administrator
of the office of energy resources, or designee;
(3) The director of
the department of transportation, or designee;
(4) A member of the
energy efficiency & resource management council;
(5) A member of the
renewable energy coordinating board;
(6) The director of
the
(7) The director of
the
(8) Four (4) members
of the
(i)
One representative from each party appointed by the speaker of the house; and
(ii) One senator from
each party to be appointed by the president of the senate;
(9) Six (6)
additional voting members shall be nominated and voted on by the
commission’s voting members, as set forth above, with expertise
in:
(i)
Environmental issues;
(ii) Residential and
commercial heating oil;
(iii) Public
transportation, transit-orientated development, and/or transportation
policy;
(iv)
Residential and low-income energy provision; and
(v) Biodiesel sector
issues; and
(vi)
Ethanol sector issues.
(b)
Two (2) of those additional members selected pursuant to subsection (a)(9) of
this
section shall serve initial terms of three (3) years; two (2)
of those additional members selected
pursuant to subsection (a)(9) of this section shall serve
initial terms of four (4) years; and two (2)
of those additional members selected pursuant to
subsection (a)(9) of this section shall serve
initial terms of five (5) years. Thereafter, members selected
pursuant to subsection (a)(9) of this
section shall serve terms of five (5) years and may be
reappointed. Any vacancy in the office of a
member selected pursuant to subsection (a)(9) of this
section shall be filled in the same manner as
provided therein, and any such appointment shall be for the
balance of the current term of that
office.
42-140.4-3.
Powers and duties of the commission. – The
board shall have the
following powers and duties:
(1) Develop
short-term and long-term strategic plans with respect to strategies to reduce
petroleum consumption from the home heating and transportation
sectors in
(2) Identify,
promote. and recommend policies to further reduce
petroleum consumption
in the state including, but not limited to, those issues
set forth in this chapter; and
(3) Consider such
other matters as it may deem appropriate to the fulfillment of its
purposes, and advise the governor, the general assembly, other
parties, and the public with regard
to matters pertaining to its purposes and duties, which
advice may include findings and
recommendations.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC00611/SUB A
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