Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 1
Department of public utilities; seal
Section 1. There shall be a department of public utilities, in this chapter called the department. It shall have an official seal, which shall be judicially noticed.
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 25 — Department of Public Utilities
Massachusetts · statute · Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25 · 36 active provisions
Provisions
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 1A
Department priorities
Section 1A. In discharging its responsibilities under this chapter and chapter 164, the department shall, with respect to itself and the entities it regulates, prioritize safety, security, reliability of service, affordability, equity and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to meet statewide greenhouse gas emission…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 2
Commonwealth utilities commission; membership; appointment and terms; chairman; quorum; salaries; annual report
Section 2. The department shall be under the supervision and control of the commonwealth utilities commission, in this chapter called the commission, which shall consist of 3 members, 2 of whom shall be appointed and may be removed by the secretary of energy and environmental affairs for a term coterminous with that of…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 2A
Energy advisory board; membership; duties
Section 2A. There is hereby established within the executive office of energy and environmental affairs an energy advisory board, appointed by the governor, consisting of thirteen members: three representatives of investor-owned electric utilities; one representative of an investor-owned gas utility; two representative…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 3
Commissioners; oath; interests in regulated industry companies
Section 3. Each commissioner shall be sworn to the faithful performance of his or her official duties. A commissioner shall not own, or be in the employ of, or own any stock in any regulated industry company, nor shall he or she be in any way directly or indirectly pecuniarily interested in or connected with any such r…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 4
Chairman of commission; powers and duties; hearings; investigations; reports
Section 4. The chairman shall have and exercise supervision and control over all the affairs of the commission. He shall preside at all hearings at which he is present, and shall designate a commissioner to act as chairman in his absence. He shall not, except as is otherwise provided herein, be charged with any adminis…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 4A
Hearings on change of rates or reduction in or discontinuance of service; time and place
Section 4A. Upon request of the mayor of a city or the selectman of a town, or of a member of the general court or of twenty customers of the company affected, a public hearing ordered by the department, to be held in connection with any change in rates or reduction in or discontinuance of service, shall be held in the…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 4B
Authority of commissioner upon declaration of state of emergency
Section 4B. Upon declaration by the governor that a state of emergency exists, the governor may authorize the chairman of the department of public utilities to take such action that the chairman may consider necessary to assure public safety and welfare through the priority restoration or continuing availability of gas…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 4C
Action for appointment of receiver to oversee operation of investor-owned electric distribution, transmission or natural gas distribution company during existence of emergency
Section 4C. (a) As used in this section, ''emergency'' shall mean a situation or condition which presents a threat to the public safety and welfare of the company's customers. An organized labor activity conducted for union recognition or as a tactic in contract negotiations shall not, of itself, constitute an emergenc…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 5
Rulings; orders; appeal; costs; staying enforcement; burden of proof; evidence
Section 5. When so requested by any party interested, the commission shall rule upon any question of substantive law properly arising in the course of any proceeding before the commission or any member or members thereof, and any party interested aggrieved by such ruling may object thereto, and may secure a review as h…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 5A
Witnesses; summonses; subpoenas; fees
Section 5A. In all investigations and inquiries authorized by law to be made by the department and in all proceedings before it, any commissioner of the department may summon witnesses, administer oaths and take testimony. The fees of such witnesses for attendance and travel shall be the same as for witnesses before th…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 5B
Rules and regulations
Section 5B. The department shall issue, following public hearings in accordance with chapter thirty A, rules and regulations for the enforcement of section thirty-three A of chapter one hundred and sixty-four.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 5C
Hazardous materials; rail transportation regulations
Section 5C. The department shall promulgate, in accordance with chapter thirty A, rules and regulations for the transportation by rail of hazardous materials in the commonwealth. Said regulations shall be consistent with any federal regulations in effect.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 5D
Trade secrets, confidential information; protection from disclosure; burden of proof
Section 5D. Notwithstanding the provisions of clause Twenty-sixth of section seven of chapter four and section ten of chapter sixty-six, the department may protect from public disclosure, trade secrets, confidential, competitively sensitive or other proprietary information provided in the course of proceedings conducte…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 5E
Audit of companies subject to jurisdiction of department; time of commencement; payment of costs; filing of results
Section 5E. The department may, from time to time, audit all companies subject to its jurisdiction, except steam distribution companies. Such audits may include, but shall not be limited to, review of the following documents: (a) all financial statements, the balance sheet, the income statement, the statement of cash f…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 7
Duties relative to common carriers; employees; division of railroad track inspection
Section 7. For the performance of the department's duties relative to common carriers the commission may appoint or employ and remove such engineers, accountants, statisticians, bureau chiefs and division heads, assistants, inspectors, clerks and other subordinates as are required therefor, and may appoint on such term…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 8
Duties relative to common carriers; expenditures
Section 8. For the performance of the department's duties relative to common carriers the commission may expend annually such sums to procure opinions, advice, plans, surveys, appraisals, audits, examinations, statistics, information, apparatus, instruments, books, tables, maps, drawings, supplies, sundries, and for tr…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 9
Duties relative to water, gas and electric companies; expenditures; employees
Section 9. For the performance of the department's duties relative to water, gas and electric companies the commission may expend annually for necessary statistics, books, stationery and contingent expenses, and for clerical and other assistance, such sums as the general court shall annually appropriate, and may appoin…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 10
Officers and employees; supervision and control
Section 10. The commission may assign to all officers and employees appointed or employed under the three preceding sections such duties as it shall from time to time deem advisable, but all acts of such officers and employees shall be done under the supervision and control of, and subject to revision by, the commissio…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 10B
Filing fees
Section 10B. Except when a fee is required by another provision of law, and except in the case of a filing by the commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions, the department shall charge and collect fees as determined annually by the commissioner of administration under the provision of section three B of chapter…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 12F
Transportation division; director; assistants
Section 12F. There shall be in the department, and under the general supervision and control of the commission, a transportation division which shall be under the charge of a director, who shall be subject to chapter thirty-one and the rules and regulations made under authority thereof. The commission shall appoint sai…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 12G
Transportation division; investigations and inquiries
Section 12G. In all investigations and inquiries authorized by law to be made by the director of the transportation division, and in all proceedings before him, he may summon witnesses, administer oaths and take testimony. The provisions of section five A relative to fees of witnesses in proceedings before the departme…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 12N
Facility siting division; clean energy infrastructure dashboard
Section 12N. There is hereby established within the department, and under the general supervision and control of the commission, a facility siting division, which shall be under the charge of a director appointed by the commission. The facility siting division, hereinafter referred to as the division, shall perform suc…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 12O
Department of Telecommunications and Energy Trust Fund
Section 12O. There shall be established upon the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Department of Telecommunications and Energy Trust Fund. There shall be credited to said fund all amounts collected pursuant to the second paragraph of section 18 and any income derived from the investment of am…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 25, § 12P
Department of Public Utilities Storm Trust Fund
Section 12P. There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Department of Public Utilities Storm Trust Fund. There shall be credited to this fund all amounts collected under the third paragraph of section 18 and any income derived from the investment of amounts…
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