November 26th was a big day for solar energy in Massachusetts.
As
promised, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
("DOER") opened the application portal for the
long-anticipated SMART Program. Applications received between
November 26th and November 30th will be considered to have been
received at the same time. Starting on December 1st, applications
will be reviewed on a first come, first served, basis.
Also on November 26th, the Massachusetts Department of Public
Utilities approved a model tariff to implement the SMART
Program. The Massachusetts electric distribution companies
now have until December 3rd to file company-specific tariffs,
which should be a formality. A few days earlier, on November 23rd,
the Department cleared up some lingering issues relating to
the SMART tariff, clarifying the process for setting application
fees (which will be overseen by both DOER and the Department),
allowing the capacity blocks and compensation rates for the
