Time to Rethink the State’s Energy Future

After months of blaming everything from utility companies to natural gas prices to potential future tariffs with Canada for Massachusetts’ skyrocketing energy costs, Governor Maura Healey is now tacitly admitting through her own actions what many already knew—the state’s aggressive renewable climate energy policies are a major driver of high utility bills in Massachusetts.

In a hastily announced plan to reduce energy costs, Healey is scrambling to provide temporary relief by redirecting funds meant for renewable energy projects back to ratepayers, and ending a certain expensive solar renewable energy credit program. This move comes after months of political maneuvering over skyrocketing energy rates, during which her administration pointed fingers at everything except the energy policies she’s been championing as the cause of the energy affordability crisis.

"Massachusetts residents shouldn’t have to suffer because of overreaching energy policies that make power more expensive. Instead of offering a one-time $50 credit, the governor should be rethinking the entire Net Zero by 2050 Roadmap mandate that is driving up costs for families and businesses. The state’s energy policy should be a goal, not a rigid and costly mandate that punishes ratepayers while others around the country enjoy significantly lower bills resulting in a competitive advantage," said Paul Diego Craney, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.

The governor's relief plan relies on shifting $125 million in Alternative Compliance Payments—funds originally intended to support clean energy investments—to provide short-term relief. While this temporary fix might ease the immediate burden, it does nothing to address the long-term structural problems in the state’s complex energy policy.

For years, Massachusetts has led the charge in pushing aggressive renewable energy mandates without ensuring a stable and affordable energy supply. The results have been devastating for families and businesses alike, with some of the highest electricity rates in the nation. The state’s insistence on pushing for offshore wind, which has been plagued by cost overruns and delays, and its hostility toward traditional energy sources have only exacerbated the problem.

“If Governor Healey is serious about lowering energy costs, she must do more than shuffle money around—she must reassess the state’s entire approach. The Net Zero by 2050 Roadmap mandate should be reconsidered, with an emphasis on affordability, reliability, and consumer choice. Massachusetts needs an energy policy that works for everyone, not just for special interests pushing costly and unreliable green energy schemes at the State House,” noted Craney.

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance urges the administration and legislative leaders to abandon the rigid ideological mandates that have caused this crisis and instead adopt policies that balance environmental goals with the economic realities facing Massachusetts families and businesses.