Report Reveals Massive Taxpayer Burden While Families Already Struggle with Energy and Housing Costs
The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance today criticized Maura Healey’s administration for quietly releasing a state climate resilience report estimating that adapting to climate change could cost between $90 billion and $130 billion by 2050.
The report quietly released last Friday, outlines sweeping infrastructure initiatives including elevating roads and rail lines, hardening MBTA tunnels, buying out residential properties, removing dams, expanding wetlands, and upgrading water systems.
The findings confirm what families and businesses already fear: Massachusetts’ climate agenda is on track to impose even more staggering long-term costs on taxpayers and ratepayers already burdened by one of the highest costs of living in the nation.
“Beacon Hill insiders are quietly admitting what they refuse to say publicly: their climate agenda comes with an astronomical price tag that working families simply cannot afford. At a time when residents are struggling to pay heating bills, housing costs, and groceries, Gov. Maura Healey’s administration is planning another spending agenda on the scale of multiple Big Digs while already forcing ratepayers to bankroll costly energy mandates,” said Paul Diego Craney, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.
The report, known as the ResilientMass Finance Strategy, estimates tens of billions in capital spending for projects including elevating highways and protecting tunnels and MBTA infrastructure from flooding, buying out up to 2,500 homes in flood-prone areas, and removing up to 300 dams while replacing culverts and bridges, among other initiatives.
MassFiscal noted the report arrives as Massachusetts residents face rising electric and gas bills driven in large part by state climate mandates.
“Massachusetts families are already paying for net-zero policies through hidden energy surcharges and regulatory mandates. Now they’re being told taxpayers may be responsible for another $130 billion in climate spending to fulfill ideological fractions of the Governor’s political base,” noted Craney.
The organization also questioned the administration’s decision not to highlight the report publicly, noting that the governor did not mention the massive price tag associated with her climate spending plans during her State of the Commonwealth address.
“It’s nice that the governor finally revealed part of the massive and reckless spending her climate agenda requires. She should also reveal the full price tag of the Net Zero by 2050 plan so taxpayers understand the true cost of these policies,” said Craney.
MassFiscal urged state leaders to prioritize affordability, energy reliability, and economic competitiveness before committing taxpayers to long-term spending obligations that could further drive residents and businesses out of the Commonwealth.
“Massachusetts cannot afford these climate price tags and Governor Healey is quietly keeping the costs tucked away from the public,” concluded Craney.