The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) today finalized regulations establishing the state’s first Intervenor Support Grant Program, designed to broaden participation in energy regulatory proceedings. The program, authorized by the 2024 Climate Act, will provide financial assistance to groups historically excluded from these processes due to limited resources.
Grants will cover expenses such as attorney fees, expert witness costs, and compensation for consultants and community experts, according to the DPU order. Eligible recipients include community groups, local governments, federally recognized Tribes, state-recognized and state-acknowledged Tribes, and organizations lacking the financial or technical capacity to fully engage in utility matters.
The 2024 Climate Act, formally known as An Act promoting a clean energy grid, advancing equity and protecting ratepayers (St. 2024, c. 239), laid the groundwork for the program. Section 82 of the Act specifically directed the creation of the grant program, with regulations to be adopted by the DPU. Section 10 of the same Act established the Department of Public Utilities and Energy Facilities Siting Board Intervenor Support Fund to finance the program, effective February 18, 2025.
Jolette Westbrook, Director & Senior Attorney at Environmental Defense Fund’s Regulatory Solutions, stated that the order “moves Massachusetts forward by opening utility decisions to the people who live with the consequences. By funding meaningful participation, the DPU invites community knowledge and information about local impacts into the record, strengthening decisions and outcomes as the Commonwealth builds a cleaner, more affordable energy future.”
The program aims to address a longstanding imbalance in regulatory proceedings, where well-funded utilities often possess a significant advantage in presenting evidence and shaping outcomes. By leveling the playing field, the DPU hopes to incorporate a wider range of perspectives and ensure that energy decisions reflect the needs and concerns of affected communities. The regulations were developed following a proposed rulemaking process, DPU 25-75, initiated to implement the requirements of the 2024 Climate Act.
The Intervenor Grant Support Program is overseen by the Director of the Division of Public Participation, as defined in General Law Part I, Title XXII, Chapter 164, Section 149, which was added by the 2024 Climate Act and takes effect March 1, 2026.
