Governor Healey Lays Out Energy Affordability Priorities

Governor Healey Lays Out Energy Affordability Priorities 

As utility companies seek rate hikes and higher profits, Governor Healey calls for change and swift passage of energy affordability legislation

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey today called for swift action and passage of her energy affordability legislation to lower energy bills and rein in utility spending. In a letter to members of the conference committee negotiating the final bill, the Governor demanded the utilities stop fighting customer refunds and urged lawmakers to move quickly after their initial meeting to deliver relief for Massachusetts households and businesses by changing how utilities do business, getting charges off bills, and building more local sources of energy. 

“It is absolutely outrageous that, at a time when the people of Massachusetts are struggling to pay their energy bills, utility spending, profits and shareholder payouts are skyrocketing,” said Governor Healey. “Enough is enough. Massachusetts ratepayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for unnecessary utility spending or excessive profits. And they shouldn’t be locked into paying high energy costs driven by President Trump’s Iran war. Passing my energy affordability legislation will ensure ratepayers are getting the best deal for energy, eliminate unnecessary charges from people’s bills, rein in utility spending and profits, and lower costs. Utilities also need to drop their legal challenges to our efforts to return money to consumers and stop seeking rate hikes that people simply can’t afford.”

“Our energy affordability legislation meets the moment we are in. We need to act as Trump’s war drives up energy prices worldwide and utility infrastructure spending raises ratepayer bills,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “Our administration is ready to act to implement this critical legislation. We’re ready to strike charges, procure more energy, and increase oversight over utility spending.”

Since Governor Healey filed her energy affordability legislation in May 2025, Massachusetts gas and electric utilities have continued seeking higher profits, increasing shareholder payouts, opposing efforts to rein in spending, and pursuing additional rate increases. 

As profits have risen, National Grid, Eversource, Berkshire Gas and Liberty Gas have all sought rate increases in the past year, some as high as 55 percent, driven in part by significant infrastructure spending that also increases utility profits. Governor Healey has opposed those increases, and her administration has consistently argued before the Department of Public Utilities for stronger oversight and lower utility profit levels.

The utilities, which also earn profits from other arms of their businesses like transmission investments, have fought efforts to return exorbitant profit back to ratepayers. Earlier this year, FERC ordered the New England transmission owners to return approximately $1.5 billion in profits collected over the past decade after advocacy by then-AG Healey and current AG Campbell. FERC also cut the allowed return on equity going forward. The transmission owners appealed this ruling, called for a slower rollout of the refund, and doubled down on increasing transmission profits going forward. Governor Healey and AG Campbell opposed this proposal and rallied all New England Governors to oppose the proposal. 

Meanwhile, shareholder payouts keep going up. Last year, Eversource and National Grid shareholders received billions in direct payouts.

Governor Healey’s energy affordability legislation gives the state new tools to lower energy bills by bringing more affordable energy online, reducing unnecessary costs for customers, and holding utilities accountable for excessive spending and profits. In her letter to the conference committee, she highlights key provisions that should remain in the bill to reduce costs, strengthen oversight and help deliver more affordable, reliable energy across Massachusetts. This includes changing how energy is purchased to get the best deals, eliminating fees and profit adders paid to utilities, getting charges off bills, avoiding unnecessary utility spending, bringing more energy into Massachusetts faster and more affordably and allowing the DPU to initiate audits of the utilities.  Governor Healey also urged the committee to include protections for ratepayers, communities and the environment from higher costs and other negative impacts driven by data centers, in keeping with her recently released framework.