HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2215 FILED ON: 1/17/2013
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2989
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Chris Walsh
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the passage of the accompanying:
An Act relative to underground infrastructure .
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PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: |
Chris Walsh | 6th Middlesex |
Cory Atkins | 14th Middlesex |
Thomas P. Conroy | 13th Middlesex |
Jonathan Hecht | 29th Middlesex |
David Paul Linsky | 5th Middlesex |
Denise Provost | 27th Middlesex |
Tom Sannicandro | 7th Middlesex |
Bruce E. Tarr | First Essex and Middlesex |
William Smitty Pignatelli | 4th Berkshire |
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2215 FILED ON: 1/17/2013
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2989
By Mr. Walsh of Framingham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2989) of Chris Walsh and others for legislation to direct the Department of Public Utilities to promulgate rules and regulations relative to the development of underground utility infrastructure. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy. |
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
An Act relative to underground infrastructure .
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 164 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 71 the following section:-
Section 71A. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations in relation to the development of utility infrastructure systems that shield such infrastructure from transmission or distribution interruptions or failures including but not limited to storm damage, vandalism, security breaches, maintenance neglect, or system overload due to inadequate design capacity limits. The department shall make it a priority to create incentives for unobtrusive, hardened, shielded, underground electrical utility transmission and distribution systems wherever physically feasible. The department is required to promulgate rules and regulations in relation to the development of infrastructure upgrade plans and hold public hearings once every 2 years to review the status, accuracy and technical feasibility of such plans.
