Massachusetts Energy Bill Update
The following is an update on the ongoing process in Massachusetts regarding energy legislation.
Massachusetts
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Don't Look Up: The Environmental Consequences of Mass. House of Representatives' Energy Bill
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is moving forward once again with an energy bill that could impact affordability and climate progress for years to come. The House Ways and Means Committee is working on a new draft, picking up where the Energy Committee left off in November with House Bill 4744, a truly awful piece of legislation. We believe that Ways and Means will come out with a new version by the second week of February.
Stand Up For Massachusetts Clean Energy Programs
The Massachusetts House Ways and Means Committee seems to be close to advancing the controversial energy House Bill 4744. This would keep Massachusetts dependent on fossil fuels by cutting Mass Save’s budget, subsidizing gas equipment, and opening the door to putting the cost of new gas pipelines on the backs of electricity ratepayers.
Third-Party Suppliers Continue to Overcharge Massachusetts Electricity Consumers: In 2024, by $81 Million
In 2024, third-party “competitive” electric suppliers increased residential electric rates by $80.7 million, according to data from the Energy Information Administration and Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities.
We are reporting here a continuation of a pattern in which retail electricity suppliers who sign up individual customers greatly overcharge them compared to what the customers would pay if they received supply service from either their utility (Eversource, National Grid, or Unitil) or their municipal aggregation if it was available.
These companies did this by signing up residential customers, often by promising to lower their electric bill, and then charging their customers an average of 2.1 cents more per kilowatt-hour (kWh) than customers would have paid had they stayed on either their utilities’ basic service rate or their community’s municipal aggregation program (if it had one).
Massachusetts Climate Activists Win The First Round, But The Game’s Not Over
On Monday, those of us who were working to defeat a proposal in the Mass. House of Representatives that would roll back our climate commitments and decimate Mass Save were thrilled to learn that the House decided to postpone action on the bill pending further review by the House Ways and Means Committee.
Massachusetts Must Not Backslide On Climate Commitments
On Friday, we were disturbed to read in the Commonwealth Beacon that Representative Mark Cusack, Chairman of the Massachusetts House Energy Committee, is contemplating taking two dramatic actions to weaken the state’s fight against climate change.
Utility Securitization: A Possible Electric Rate Reduction Tool
It is becoming clear that the cost of maintaining and modernizing our electricity grid is going to require large capital expenditures by our local electric utilities. Financing these investments, while keeping electric rates from rising further, is going to be a challenge.
One policy that could help do this, which has already been used across the country, is utility securitization.
Should Data Centers Receive a Sales Tax Exemption?
Recently, data centers have rapidly become a topic that advocates and policymakers need to reckon with in the clean energy space. Mostly, we’ve seen the data center discussion take place in other parts of the country, where electricity prices are lower and it’s more attractive for data center developers to build. But recently, the discussion arrived in Massachusetts with a discussion of data centers and sales tax exemptions. If you’re a Massachusetts resident, you have an opportunity to make your voice heard until August 25, 2025.
Heat Pump Discount Rates Coming This Winter!
We have an exciting update for Massachusetts households since we last wrote about heat pump rates in July: Starting November 1st, all three investor-owned electric utilities (Unitil, National Grid, and Eversource) will launch new, lower winter electricity rates for homes that heat either partially or fully with heat pumps.
On average, Heat pump users can expect to save around $540 on their heating bills this winter, compared to what they paid in past winters. That’s roughly a 17% discount—a true game changer for clean heating in Massachusetts.
Why We Should Axe The Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard
Massachusetts has some great, and sometimes nation-leading, energy programs; the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (APS) is not one of them. That’s why we are excited that Governor Healey has proposed phasing out the APS by 2028 as part of H.4144, An Act relative to energy affordability, independence and innovation, which she filed back in May.