Beacon Hill Roll Call
Volume 51 – Report No. 10
March 2 – 6, 2026
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THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on local representatives’ votes on two roll calls from prior sessions. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week.
Both roll calls are on amendments to legislation that supporters said would result in over $9 billion in savings for utility ratepayers over the next ten years. Opponents of the measure said it does not come close to its stated goal to make energy costs more affordable and represents a missed opportunity to deliver financial relief to ratepayers.
During the week of February March 2-6, the House met for a total of 59 minutes and the Senate met for a total of 52 minutes.
RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARD (H 5151)- House 25-130, rejected an amendment that would reduce the mandated annual rate of growth of the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) from 3 percent to 1 percent. The RPS is the percentage of the grid’s provided energy supply that is derived from renewable sources.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
AFFORDABILITY AND COMPETITIVENESS (H 5151)- House 25-130, rejected an amendment that would require all state agencies and authorities implementing energy or climate-related regulations to complete a formal affordability and competitiveness assessment before those actions take effect. Agencies would be prohibited from advancing regulations tied to greenhouse gas limits or clean energy goals unless they determine the action will not impose unreasonable adverse impacts on residential ratepayers, including low-and fixed-income households, or on the operating costs and competitiveness of Massachusetts businesses.
The amendment mandates that the assessment must identify projected cost impacts across ratepayer classes, evaluate cumulative impacts, consult with ratepayers and business organizations and be made publicly available at least 30 days prior to implementation. If unreasonable impacts are identified, agencies must modify the proposal or adopt mitigation measures, and failure to comply would be subject to judicial review.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
For more information and details on each bill, roll call attendance, and other relevant information, please visit the Wakefield Daily Item at www.localheadlinenews.com