Massachusetts officials and the state’s largest electric utilities in January unveiled “Power Forward,” an initiative designed to speed up grid connections for new development, help municipalities and builders identify where power infrastructure is ready for growth and cut costs tied to bringing new housing online.
The move comes as Massachusetts continues to grapple with a persistent housing shortage. The share of homes available for sale or rent has shrunk to about 1.6%—well below the vacancy levels of a typically healthy market, which generally range from about 6% to 8%. That demand is creating intense competition for units and driving up prices for both buyers and renters. According to a Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) report, roughly half of tenants spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs, a common measure of cost burden.
State estimates show that Massachusetts needs at least 115,600 homes over the next decade just to address the current shortage. A combination of long permitting timelines, restrictive zoning, rising construction costs and infrastructure bottlenecks has contributed to slow production.
Officials say one persistent constraint for housing projects has been the process for connecting new developments to the electric grid. Under the existing system, developers often must commission detailed studies to determine whether a site’s grid capacity is sufficient and whether electrical upgrades are required. That process can take anywhere from weeks to years, delaying construction and increasing costs.
The Healey-Driscoll administration is partnering with Eversource, National Grid, Unitil and the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to get housing connected to address that bottleneck.
To speed up grid connections, Power Forward will:
- Conduct advanced grid studies for participating cities and towns so they have clearer information on where capacity exists and where upgrades may be needed.
- Assign dedicated utility project managers to help municipalities understand grid readiness and the requirements for specific developments.
- Provide real-time tools showing local grid capacity, including maps from Eversource and National Grid, to give developers and local officials a more complete picture of where power is available.
- Offer a “Step Zero” pre-connection report that delivers electrical capacity details at a site before a formal service request is submitted, reducing unnecessary delays.
The three utility companies will also establish escalation processes for connection delays or issues through utility supervisors. Eversource and National Grid plan to provide additional guidance on the grid connection process during a webinar for municipal officials on Feb. 6. DOER and the utilities will release more information about Power Forward ahead of accepting applications in April.
If Power Forward works as intended, developers and municipalities could see faster project timelines, clearer expectations for grid costs and fewer delays to power connections, potentially helping more homes move from planning to construction sooner.
Photo by Magda Ehlers from Pexels
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