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495/MetroWest Briefing:
Electric Grid Connections & Economic Development
As businesses expand, housing creation is encouraged, and communities pursue electrification initiatives, access to electric infrastructure is becoming an increasingly important factor in economic development and municipal planning.
Recognizing the growing importance of this issue, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) has launched a series of initiatives intended to improve the process by which new residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal projects connect to the electric grid.
On June 2nd, 2026, the 495/MetroWest Partnership's Energy and Sustainable Development Committee hosted Melissa Lavinson, Executive Director of EEA's Office of Energy Transformation, for a discussion of ongoing efforts to address electric grid connection challenges and improve coordination among utilities, municipalities, developers, and businesses. Click here to access the slide deck from that presentation. Thank you to our meeting host, Solect Energy!
Why Grid Connections Matter
Over the past several years, businesses, developers, municipalities, and other stakeholders have reported increasing concerns regarding electric service connections. In some cases, projects have experienced delays associated with utility studies, infrastructure upgrades, transformer availability, or uncertainty regarding available capacity and project costs.
These challenges affect a wide range of projects, including housing developments, manufacturing expansions, commercial facilities, municipal infrastructure projects, and transportation and building electrification efforts.
According to analyses cited by EEA, peak electric demand in New England could increase by approximately 50 percent by 2035 and more than double by 2050 as transportation and building electrification accelerate and electricity consumption patterns evolve. Electric infrastructure planning is an issue that intersects with economic competitiveness, housing production, municipal planning, and clean energy policy.
State Efforts Underway
EEA has established a dedicated initiative focused on improving the customer experience associated with electric service connections while also helping utilities better anticipate future demand. Among the efforts currently underway are:
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"Step 0" processes: Utilities have established procedures that allow customers to obtain preliminary information regarding grid capacity and potential infrastructure requirements before formally entering the interconnection process.
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Power Forward: This initiative is intended to help eligible municipalities better understand future electric infrastructure needs associated with anticipated development and electrification projects. Through the program, participating communities can receive advanced grid assessments that evaluate anticipated electric demand associated with planned housing, commercial development, and electrification efforts. The initiative is intended to provide municipalities, developers, and utilities with earlier information regarding potential infrastructure constraints, helping communities better align development planning with electric system capacity and identify potential upgrades before projects enter later stages of review. Eligibility is currently focused on MBTA Communities, Gateway Cities, and municipalities that have adopted the Specialized Stretch Energy Code. Click here to learn more about the Power Forward program.
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Ongoing stakeholder engagement: EEA continues to convene municipalities, businesses, developers, utilities, and other stakeholders to identify opportunities for process improvements and address recurring challenges. As part of this effort, the Commonwealth has established semiannual Electric Connections Improvements Forums, which provide stakeholders with updates on grid connection initiatives and an opportunity to share feedback on challenges associated with the connection process. The next forum is scheduled for September 15th, 2026.
Anticipating Future Demand
A central theme of EEA's work is the need to identify future electric demand earlier in the development process. According to state officials, utilities often do not learn about major development projects until the relatively late stages of planning. When significant new electric demand is identified after project planning is already underway, additional studies or infrastructure upgrades can increase costs and extend project timelines.
To address this issue, EEA is exploring methods to improve communication among municipalities, developers, utilities, and state agencies so that anticipated electric demand can be incorporated into utility planning efforts earlier and more effectively.
The Commonwealth is also developing projections of future electric demand associated with transportation electrification, building electrification, housing growth, and economic development activities.
Supporting Economic Development
EEA has also established an Enabling Sustainable Economic Development Working Group within the Office of Energy Transformation.
The effort is focused on identifying ways to support economic growth in areas that are prepared to accommodate future electric demand while minimizing infrastructure constraints. State officials have expressed particular interest in supporting industries such as advanced manufacturing, life sciences, climate technology, and other sectors that may require significant electric capacity.
The initiative reflects a growing recognition that access to electric infrastructure can influence business location decisions, project feasibility, and long-term regional competitiveness.
Issues Raised by Regional Stakeholders
The discussion hosted by the Partnership highlighted several issues of continuing interest to municipalities and businesses throughout the 495/MetroWest region.
Among the topics discussed were utility communication and responsiveness, municipal capacity to engage in electrification planning, transformer availability, opportunities for battery storage and flexible interconnection solutions, and the need for greater awareness of existing state programs and resources.
Participants also emphasized that municipalities vary considerably in staffing capacity and technical expertise. While some communities have dedicated economic development and/ or sustainability staff, others have more limited resources available to engage with utilities and state agencies on complex energy infrastructure issues.
Looking Ahead
EEA has indicated that its efforts to improve electric service connections will continue to evolve through ongoing stakeholder engagement, utility coordination, and policy development. Additional information regarding electric service connection initiatives is expected in the months ahead.
For the 495/MetroWest region, these efforts remain highly relevant as communities pursue housing production goals, businesses evaluate expansion opportunities, and municipalities continue implementing electrification and sustainability initiatives.
The 495/MetroWest Partnership will continue to monitor developments in this area and share information with regional stakeholders as additional resources, programs, and policy initiatives become available.
For more information, visit EEA’s Connecting New Buildings to the Electric Grid web page.
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