The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance released the following statement regarding Governor Maura Healey’s newly unveiled “Energy Affordability, Independence, and Innovation Act,” which is less a solution to Massachusetts’ energy crisis and more a tacit admission that Beacon Hill’s climate mandates have been driving up rates all along.

For years, the Healey administration and its allies have denied that Massachusetts’ alternative energy mandates were contributing to Massachusetts’s highest in the nation electricity prices. But now, under the guise of affordability, the Governor is proposing to roll back charges like the Alternative Portfolio Standard and cut back on net metering credits, policies her administration once championed and insisted were not inflating costs.

“That’s not reform. That’s a confession,” noted Paul Diego Craney, executive director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.

“This plan is political window dressing. Governor Healey is trying to calm public outrage over sky-high electric bills without making any of the tough decisions needed to actually lower them. This bill gives more power to the same bureaucrats that created this mess and asks ratepayers to trust them again. That’s not vying for affordability—that’s arrogance,” said Craney.

The Governor’s proposal repackages failed ideas—like expanding state procurement and giving utilities more flexibility to set supply rates—while continuing to sidestep the central issue: the high costs and unreliability caused by Massachusetts’ rigid alternative energy mandates. These mandates force utilities to buy expensive, intermittent energy and penalize them for relying on proven, affordable sources like natural gas. The result has been soaring electric bills, greater grid instability, and increased dependence on imported fuels during peak demand.

Governor Healey claims her legislation represents an “all of the above” approach. But a real “all of the above” strategy must include natural gas, which remains the most reliable and affordable energy source for New England. Unfortunately, Massachusetts continues to block the construction of modern pipeline infrastructure, cutting us off from the vast reserves of low-cost natural gas in nearby states. Without new pipelines, ratepayers will remain trapped in a high-cost system reliant on imported liquefied natural gas and speculative green technologies.

If the Governor were serious about energy independence, she would start by rolling back the mandates, opening up the market to real competition, and investing in infrastructure that allows Massachusetts to access abundant and affordable domestic energy. Instead, this bill preserves the broken status quo and continues to prioritize ideology over affordability.

“Massachusetts doesn’t need rebranding. It needs real reform,” closed Craney.