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| 麻州州長Maura Healey（中）率副州長Kim Driscoll (左），以及能源廳廳長 Rebecca Tepper (右）日開記者會，聲言要為人民降低能源賬單。（周菊子攝） |
奚莉州長強烈要求麻州議會的協商委員會儘速通過能源負擔法案，賦予州政府砍除帳單附加費、強制審計業者財務、改革購電模式等權力，以終結「業者暴利、民眾買單」的現狀。
希莉州長指出，聯邦能源管理委員會（FERC）已裁定能源業者多年來超收費用，應退還約15億美元，但業者不僅上訴，更在近期股東會議中表態將繼續對抗退費。她說，「在麻州民眾為支付能源賬單而苦苦掙扎之際，公用事業公司的支出、利潤及向股東支付的款項卻在急劇飆升，這簡直令人憤慨」。她直接喊話道，「立刻撤銷上訴，把錢還給麻州居民」。
國家電網（National Grid），永源（Eversource），伯克夏爾天然氣（Berkshire Gas）和自由天然氣（Liberty Gas）都要求漲價，其中有公司甚至以基礎設施開銷巨大為由，要求漲價55%。
奚莉州長還批評聯邦政府的對伊朗政策推升了全球石油及天然氣價格，卻又阻撓麻州的太陽能與風電開發，使麻州處境更加艱困。
奚莉州長在2025年5月13日向麻州議會提交的「能源負擔、獨立與創新法案（Energy Affordability, Independence & Innovation Act）」，在參眾議會中都已通過，目前在協商委員會中協調參眾兩議會之間的條文差異。
該法案的核心改革包括：廢除每年約2,000萬美元，因能源公司參與新英格蘭電網而發給的「輸電獎勵（transmission incentives）」、取消清潔能源合約的各種附加收費、禁止將管理層差旅與遊說費用轉嫁用戶，限制業者在非必要的基礎設施上花費，並要求公用事業改變現行購電模式，必須在電價低點購電以降低成本，授權公用事業局（DPU）主動審計業者財務與成本。
奚莉州長已暫停新資料中心（data center）稅務優惠，要求業者將來必須自行以清潔能源發電，不得大量消耗電網資源，否則不准興建。
州長辦公室估計，「能源負擔、獨立與創新法案」在未來十年，可為用戶節省超過100億美元。
希莉州長強調，她已反對每一件送交辦公室的漲價案，並呼籲議會切勿向業者妥協，應儘快通過法案，「人民和企業不能再等」。
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
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