In Massachusetts, every megawatt-hour (MWh) of clean energy we generate moves us closer to achieving a healthier future for people and the planet. And behind every one of those MWhs is something essential: accurate, trustworthy data. That’s where the MassCEC Clean Energy Production Tracking System (PTS) comes in.
At its core, PTS is straightforward: it provides a clear, consistent way to record how much clean energy systems across the state produce. But the impact goes far beyond reporting. Whether you’re a homeowner with rooftop solar, a developer building a community solar array, or a policymaker shaping statewide climate strategy, PTS helps ensure that every clean energy investment delivers the benefits it was designed to provide.
How PTS Works
Every solar panel and wind turbine in Massachusetts produces electricity over time. We measure that output in megawatt-hours (MWh), a standard unit that reflects how much clean energy a system generates. A typical home solar array might produce several MWh annually, while larger community or commercial projects can generate hundreds or even thousands.
Think of PTS as the state's clean energy ledger. It is where renewable energy systems “check in,” reporting their production data. Together, these measurements create a statewide, real-time picture of clean energy generation.
Why Fair, Accurate Tracking Is Important
Renewable energy systems perform differently depending on weather, design, and local conditions. PTS ensures each system is measured on its own merits.
Reliable, verified data
No two systems perform exactly the same. A rooftop solar array in Western Massachusetts may generate differently from one on the Cape. A coastal wind turbine will behave differently from one inland.
PTS brings this variation together in a consistent, verified way. By collecting and validating data from thousands of systems, it gives homeowners, installers, utilities, and researchers confidence that reported numbers reflect real, day-to-day performance.
Fair, transparent incentive payments
Many of Massachusetts’ clean energy incentives are based on actual production, not estimates. Whether it’s a small residential system or a large community project, payments depend on how much electricity the system truly generates.
PTS ensures those payments are fair, accurate, and transparent. System owners are compensated based on real production—nothing more, nothing less. For homeowners and businesses, this brings predictability. For developers and investors, it provides the confidence needed to plan financing, model project performance, and keep projects economically viable.
A trusted view of statewide progress
Clean energy progress is often described through statewide totals: how many systems have been installed, and how many MWh of clean electricity have been produced. PTS validates those numbers.
With all reporting flowing into one centralized system, residents, communities, and policymakers gain a clear view of clean energy production across the state. This visibility helps illustrate how individual systems contribute to broader climate action and reveals where additional support or investment may be needed.
Understanding Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)
Every time a renewable energy system produces one MWh of electricity, it also creates a Renewable Energy Certificate (REC), a verified record of that clean energy and its environmental benefits. Think of a REC as a receipt that says, “This MWh came from a renewable source.” It tracks the environmental value of clean electricity, separate from the electricity itself.
RECs play multiple roles in Massachusetts’ clean energy transition. Utilities use them to demonstrate progress toward legally required renewable energy targets. Businesses buy them voluntarily to show they’re powering operations with clean energy. For homeowners, nonprofits, and developers, RECs can provide valuable additional revenue that helps make clean energy projects financially viable. At the statewide level, RECs turn thousands of individual systems into a measurable and transparent picture of progress.
Because every REC begins with verified production data, PTS ensures that certificates are accurate, consistent, and fully trusted. This strengthens both compliance and voluntary REC markets and ensures that every clean energy claim is backed by real, verifiable performance.
Who Benefits from PTS
PTS supports individuals and organizations across the state’s clean energy landscape. For homeowners and small businesses, accurate reporting ensures incentives are calculated correctly and that their clean energy contributions are fully captured. For project developers, PTS offers the reliable production data needed to model cash flow, secure financing, and participate confidently in the REC market. For policymakers and program designers, consistent, verified data enables effective incentive design, informed climate planning, and strategic decisions.
Ultimately, PTS benefits the public. Transparent, trustworthy reporting gives residents confidence that the progress they hear about—whether in local projects or statewide goals—is grounded in real numbers. PTS turns thousands of data points into a clear, accurate picture of how Massachusetts is moving toward a cleaner, more affordable energy future.
Why Production Data Drives Clean Energy Progress
Massachusetts is making meaningful progress toward a future powered by clean energy, but keeping our energy transition on track requires more than installing solar panels or building wind turbines. It also requires understanding how every system performs once it’s operating. PTS provides that clarity.
Reliable production data strengthens every part of the clean energy ecosystem by supporting incentive programs, REC markets, long-term planning, and public confidence. It also underscores an essential truth: every homeowner, every business, every developer, and every community project plays a role in our collective progress.
Importantly, PTS delivers this trusted reporting infrastructure without adding cost for project owners. By eliminating expensive third-party tracking requirements, the system keeps participation affordable and ensures more projects can contribute to the state’s transition.
Whether you’re a system owner, installer, developer, or someone curious about how clean energy works behind the scenes, PTS is part of your story. By reporting production data through this system, you help build a clean energy landscape that is transparent, equitable, and grounded in real performance.
For system owners, installers, and anyone tracking clean energy progress, explore PTS tools, data, and program details by visiting the Production Tracking System page.