Shutesbury Planning Board Reviews New Clean Energy Permitting Law Ahead of October Deadline

SHUTESBURY -- May 11, 2026, Shutesbury Planning Board warns of gaps in new state clean energy permitting law ahead of October 1 local deadline. The board spent most of its May 11 meeting reviewing the 2024 Clean Energy Law and its implementing regulations, which require municipalities to consolidate permitting for smaller solar, wind, and battery storage projects within a 12-month window or face constructive approval. A board member tracking the law closely flagged what she called "a really big unfunded mandate," noting that existing planning board fees, roughly $250 per application, are far short of what the new Local Government Representative role will require, and that the Select Board has not yet designated anyone to fill that role. Members identified additional gaps in the state's site suitability scoring framework, including the absence of any metrics for private drinking water wells, wetland proximity, or noise, and questioned whether Shutesbury's more stringent solar setbacks could survive legal challenge given that DOER has only stated orally, and not in regulation, that municipalities may exceed state minimums. The only formal vote of the evening was unanimous approval of the April 13 meeting minutes.