TREASURER GOLDBERG VISITS PITTSFIELD TO HOST TOWN HALL ON COLLEGE ACCESS

TREASURER GOLDBERG VISITS PITTSFIELD TO HOST TOWN HALL ON COLLEGE ACCESS

SoarMA pilot benefits seventh and eighth grade students in five Gateway Cities

PITTSFIELD - On Friday, October 19th, Treasurer Deb Goldberg hosted a town hall discussion on college access and affordability with Reid Middle School students, speaking about the pilot college savings program SoarMA. Launched last December, SoarMA is the State’s first college savings account program that provides seeded 529 accounts as well as savings workshops to low-income middle schoolers and their families in Gateway Cities. The two-year pilot includes the cities of Haverhill, Lowell, Pittsfield, Springfield, and Worcester.

“Access to affordable higher education is critical to the economic future of many families and communities in Massachusetts,” said Treasurer Deb Goldberg. “It was a pleasure to join these incredible kids and discuss ways we can maintain and build upon the growing college-going culture in Pittsfield.”

The initiative, funded through public-private partnerships, provides an initial seed deposit of $50 and a matched savings of up to $400. Monthly college savings workshops will be offered in all five communities. The 529 college savings accounts are offered through the Office of the Massachusetts State Treasurer and Receiver General, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) and Inversant.

"At MEFA we understand how saving for college can help students reach their dreams, and middle school is an excellent time for families to start saving if they haven't already,” said Tom Graf, Executive Director of MEFA. “Planning early will provide students and families more options when it comes time to pursue that college degree.”

Treasurer Goldberg was joined by community leaders during her conversation with Pittsfield students and their families. Through impactful community partnerships, SoarMA aims to increase the percentage of families saving for higher education while also boosting post-secondary enrollment and graduation rates for participating cities.

“In the City of Pittsfield, we are proud to be a community that readily supports the aspirations of our young people. Many of our students are able to move forward along their desired path, but for some, financial barriers impede their dreams of attending college,” said Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer. The 529 accounts will help to lessen some of those challenges and allow our young learners to achieve their highest potential.”

Additionally, SoarMA seeks to deliver high-quality financial education programming to families, building a culture centered on saving for the future and sustainable budget management. Inversant, a Boston-based non-profit organization, will support SoarMA with its existing curriculum model. Inversant's mission is to ensure that through parental engagement, every low-to-moderate income family has the resources and understanding they need to achieve their goals for higher education.

“Children with savings accounts develop a strong sense of their future possibilities, including college, career, home ownership, and economic stability,” said Robert Hildreth, Founder and Board Chair of Inversant. “By partnering with the Massachusetts State Treasurer’s Office, even more, families across the state will be able to access a higher education, and more importantly, better the entire family’s prospects.”

For more information about Treasurer Goldberg’s college savings pilot program please visit https://www.soarma529.org/

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES 'GRADUATE READY TO ACHIEVE DEGREE' (GRAD) LAST MILE SCHOLARSHIP FUND

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES 'GRADUATE READY TO ACHIEVE DEGREE' (GRAD) LAST MILE SCHOLARSHIP FUND

BOSTON - Friday, October 19, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh, in partnership with the Frieze Family Foundation, today announced the launch of the GRAD Last Mile Fund, an innovative scholarship program designed to provide financial support to students nearing college graduation. The fund will provide resources to students for whom financial hardships are a barrier to completing a higher education degree program. "The GRAD Last Mile Fund will enable more Boston students to realize their dream of graduating from college," said Mayor Walsh. "Financial hardship should not prevent any student from completing the 'last mile' on their journey toward earning a college degree, and I am proud that through this new fund, we will be able to help more students cross the finish line and earn their degree." "We are excited to support students that are in their last semester to cover non-academic costs that are not traditionally covered by other scholarship programs such as transportation, rent, child care, medical care and other unexpected life expenses," said a statement from the Frieze Family Foundation. "We are pleased to seed this program of 'last mile support' with the hope that other funders will join us so even more students can reach their goal of graduation." The Frieze Family Foundation committed to fund the pilot year of the GRAD Last Mile Fund, and funds will be distributed to five schools that are highly attended by Boston students: Bunker Hill Community College, MassBay Community College, Roxbury Community College, Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology and UMass Boston. The GRAD Last Mile Fund awards will vary based upon need, with a maximum grantamount of $2,500 per student. "This award helps me achieve my goal of graduating from nursing school by aiding me in paying for transportation, books, and allowing me to take more days off of work to study for exams," said Taressa Jones, a senior at UMass Boston. "I am so happy to have been chosen as a recipient of this award and I plan to use my education to give back to the City of Boston that has so graciously helped me. I plan to engage in community nursing in and around Boston communities." "As a Success Boston partner, we work to help students get ready, get in and get through college and connected to a successful career," said Pam Eddinger, president of Bunker Hill Community College. "The GRAD Fund is a welcome addition to the many comprehensive programs that focus on increasing college completion rates in Boston.  It will help to ensure that more Boston students are able to reach the finish line and receive their degrees." "At UMass Boston,we have a number of students who are very close to completing their degrees but experience insurmountable financial challenges such as food and housing insecurity, family medical issues, childcare, and employment challenges that make it impossible for them to finish," said Joan Becker, vice provost for Academic Support Services at the University of Massachusetts Boston. "The GRAD Last Mile Scholarship will make it possible for these students to walk across the stage with their degree proudly in hand." For many people, higher education is a key driver for their success and research has shown that there are fewer pathways to a steady career for those who have some college experience, but no degree. Mayor Walsh's Education Cabinet works to create coordinated birth-to-career education systems that provide students with high-quality learning opportunities, get them College, Career and Life Ready and, increasingly, guarantee them a post-secondary education.    "In June, when we honored City Scholarship recipients, we talked about working toward establishing a social contract with Boston's young people that guarantees them a post-secondary education," said Chief of Education Turahn Dorsey. "The establishment of the GRAD Last Mile Fund helps us take an important step toward delivering on that guarantee. We expect that helping students complete the last mile of their college educations will directly onramp them to gainful careers and productive lives." The City of Boston offers many resources for residents pursuing higher education. On the Mayor's Education Cabinet's Higher Education Resource page, residents can find the resources most appropriate for their educational goals in one place, including the Tuition-Free Community College program, The Boston Bridge and an inventory of local scholarships. In addition, the City of Boston's Scholarship Fund disburses almost $300,000 in scholarship aid every year for Boston residents. These programs combine to create a multi-pronged approach to higher education access and completion in the city. Candidates for GRAD Last Mile Fund scholarships must be Boston residents that are on track academically to graduate in the next semester and have a demonstrated financial need. Priority will be given to students who have not registered for their final semester or paid tuition by a pre-established cutoff date, have exhausted other sources of aid available, are undocumented and/or DACA students with limited options for financial assistance, and/or are parents and/or veterans.  For more information on the GRAD Last Mile Fund, or how to contribute, please visit www.boston.gov/departments/education-cabinet/grad-last-mile-fund-pilot.

麻州香港日跨入第五屆 香港新任總經貿專員麥德偉到賀

"香港日"嘉賓祝酒。(黃子安提供)

左起，麻州眾議員黃子安，麻州香港協會會長葉俊年，香港駐美國
總經濟貿易專員麥德偉，香港駐紐約經濟貿易辦事處處長朱瑞雯，
副處長關可臨在會中合影。(周菊子攝)

(Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)麻州香港協會和香港經貿辦事處，麻州眾議會亞裔核心小組合作，10月17日在麻州州政府大樓內舉辦”香港日”活動，一年一度的慶祝香港與麻州關係友好，並介紹新到任的香港駐美國總經濟貿易專員麥德偉。

麻州香港協會會長葉俊年，副會長周榮亞，麻州眾議會亞裔核心小組的麻州眾議員黃子安，陳德基，Rady Mom，和香港駐美國總經濟貿易專員麥德偉、香港駐紐約經濟貿易辦事處處長朱瑞雯在會場歡迎逾百名出席同慶者。

麻州財政廳廳長高伯珂(Deb Goldberg)，正在競選麻州財政廳廳長席位的麻州眾議員Keiko Orrall，以及多名麻州議員都特地出席致意。

率先踏入麻州眾議會的亞裔，麻州眾議員黃子安(右)，陳德基(左)也是
麻州眾議會亞裔核心小組發起人。(周菊子攝)

麻州國際貿易及投資辦公室(MOITI)主任蘇利文(Mark Sullivan)代表麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)出席，送上表揚狀，宣佈當天為麻州”香港日”。

原為香港公務員事務局副秘書長的麥德偉，今年七月才調為香港駐美國總經濟貿易專員，到華府上任後，這是第二次來麻州。

麻州眾議會的眾議員們為香港日送上表揚狀，香港總經貿專員麥德偉
(中)代表接受。(黃子安提供)

麥德偉在”香港日”中闡述香港近年經濟大好，與中國連接更緊密，推動科技發展的力度尤其大，正陸續斥資6到10億美元，做各項相關基礎建設，並獎勵創新創業。

香港和麻州之間的往來，也有麻州出口到香港增長47%，總值達到13億美元的佳績。兩地在科技，金融，生物醫藥上都有密切合作。財富500強公司中在麻州的12家公司，有10家也在香港設有分部。  香港和麻州的關係從2015年開通飛機直航後，更是緊密。
在交通上，香港與中國的連接，越來越近，不僅9月23日廣深港高鐵香港段通車，從香港可直達中國44個城市。10月19日，香港政府也剛宣佈，造價逾千億港元的港珠澳大橋，將於10月24日早上9點通車。從香港到廣東珠海的交通時間將從四小時縮減到45分鐘。

左起，麻州香港協會副會長周榮亞，會長葉俊年和麻州眾議員
Keiko Orrall，香港駐美國總經濟貿易專員麥德偉，香港駐紐約
經濟貿易辦事處處長朱瑞雯。(黃子安提供)

根據中國科技部，財政部今年5月14日發表的"關於鼓勵香港特別行政區，澳門特別行政區等院校和科研機構餐與中央財政科技計畫(專項、基金等)組織實施的若干規定(試行)，中國的國家經費將投入香港的科技研發，以充分利用香港現有43名兩院院士，16個國家重點夥伴實驗室，6個國家工程技術研究中心香港分中心等資源。

香港特區行政首長林鄭月娥也在2017年10月上任時指出，香港將大力發展創新科技，創意產業，本地研發總開支提升至每年450億港元，令啟動20億港元的”創科創投基金”。
麥德偉還透露，明年夏天，香港中樂團將到麻州的探戈塢(Tanglewood)表演。

麻州財政廳廳長高伯珂(Deb Goldberg)在香港日中致詞。(黃子安提供)

麻州眾議員黃子安(左)和波士頓龍舟節執委會主席劉忠凱(右)。(周菊子攝)

香港駐紐約經濟貿易辦事處處長朱瑞雯表示，香港和麻州的關係，在兩地熱心人士協助下，勢必越來越好。

MAYOR WALSH LAYS OUT TRANSFORMATIVE VISION TO CREATE RESILIENT, OPEN BOSTON HARBOR

MAYOR WALSH LAYS OUT TRANSFORMATIVE VISION TO CREATE RESILIENT, OPEN BOSTON HARBOR

BOSTON - Wednesday, October 17, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today rolled out a comprehensive and transformative vision that will invest in Boston's waterfront to protect the City's residents, homes, jobs, and infrastructure against the impacts of rising sea level and climate change. Announced in his annual speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Mayor's plan, "Resilient Boston Harbor," lays out strategies along Boston's 47-mile shoreline that will increase access and open space along the waterfront while better protecting the city during a major flooding event.   "We're not just planning for the next storm we'll face, we're planning for the storms the next generation will face," said Mayor Walsh. "A resilient, climate-ready Boston Harbor presents an opportunity to protect Boston, connect Boston, and enhance Boston, now and for the future. As we enter a new era in our Harbor's history, Boston can show the world that resilience is not only the ability to survive adversity, but to emerge even stronger than before. That's the promise of a Resilient Boston." Resilient Boston Harbor builds off of Imagine Boston 2030 and uses the City's Climate Ready Boston  2070 flood maps and coastal resilience neighborhood studies to focus on Boston's most vulnerable flood pathways. The strategies laid out in the plan include elevated landscapes, enhanced waterfront parks, flood resilient buildings, and revitalized and increased connections and access to the waterfront. The strategies will require collaboration and funding between federal, state, private, philanthropic and nonprofit partners. East Boston, Charlestown: Based on early recommendations from the City's Climate Ready Charlestown and Climate Ready East Boston plans, a deployable floodwall system has been installed across the East Boston Greenway, and a section of Main Street in Charlestown is being elevated. Additional measures identified include: Redesign Constitution Beach to combine flood protection with expanded access and recreation. Enhance Wood Island and Belle Isle to prevent the loss of the last remaining tidal salt marsh in Boston, while buffering the shoreline from increased waves and surges. Work with new development projects, including Suffolk Downs, to integrate resiliency measures, increased open space, and community connections.   Elevate transportation corridors like Bennington Street and the East Boston Greenway to create both flood protection and pedestrian connections throughout the neighborhood. Elevate Main Street as part of the re-design of Rutherford Avenue and Sullivan Square, to block the primary flood pathway through Charlestown. $4.8 million in capital funding has already been committed to the overall project. Elevate and renovate Ryan Playground. Redevelop the Schrafft Center waterfront with elevated parks and mixed-use buildings to grow economic opportunity while restoring natural resources. North End, Downtown: Flood risks threaten Boston's financial center, historic waterfront, tourist destinations and residential neighborhoods. The City will launch Climate Ready Downtown to further study the impacts and necessary measures to protect these neighborhoods. Strategies already identified include:   Redesign Christopher Columbus Park and Langone Park and Puopolo Playground to include elevation to protect against flooding while improving waterfront open space and connections to the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Transform the parking lot at Sargent's Wharf into a combination of open space and resilient small-scale development. Elevate sections of the Harborwalk. Enhance Long Wharf as the gateway for water transportation. South Boston, Fort Point: Released today, Climate Ready South Boston identifies the major flood pathways to many of the City's residential neighborhoods through Fort Point Channel and Moakley Park. In response, the following strategies have been identified:  Create a resilient Moakley Park and a re-envisioned Fort Point Channel to protect homes and businesses in South Boston, the South End, Chinatown, and parts of Dorchester and Roxbury. Build a coalition of support from the private property owners surrounding Fort Point Channel to assist in creating a signature resilient park system. Complete the Emerald Necklace from Franklin Park to Moakley Park along Columbia Road to increase access to the waterfront. $11 million will be allocated from sale of the Winthrop Square Garage for this project. Secure federal support. The City is applying for a $10 million FEMA mitigation grant to begin resilience work along the Fort Point Channel. The Boston Water & Sewer Commission has begun installing essential infrastructure for reducing flood risk. An elevated New Ellery Street along the Dorchester Avenue corridor in South Boston, as identified in the BPDA's PLAN: Dorchester Avenue South Boston to provide additional flood protection for South Boston's residential neighborhoods. Complete Martin's Park, an inclusive waterfront playground that will be climate-ready.   Dorchester Waterfront: In order to create a resilient, more accessible Dorchester shoreline with increased connectivity, the City will launch  Climate Ready Dorchester. Strategies already identified, include:   Re-design Morrissey Boulevard to stop current and future flooding, and open up the waterfront. Complete the connection of the Neponset River Trail in Mattapan to the Harborwalk from Tenean Beach to Victory Park. Work with UMass Boston to further open up the waterfront along Columbia Point for the residents of Dorchester. Work with residents on new and improved amenities for the neighborhood, including better public transit and improved roadway, pedestrian, and bike connections. Resilient Boston Harbor builds on the investments the City of Boston has made under Mayor Walsh to increase the City's climate resiliency, including: Released Climate Ready Boston, an internationally recognized plan that builds on Imagine Boston 2030. Became one of the first cities to set a target of carbon neutrality by 2050. This week, the City released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the next update to Boston's Climate Action Plan that will create a roadmap for that goal. Expanded open space. Boston ranks first in the nation for resident access to parks. Making historic investments in green transportation, including protected bicycle lanes in Roxbury, the South End, and North End, and expanded bike share access in Mattapan, Roslindale, and Dorchester. Completing new resilient design standards  for public infrastructure, providing ways for all construction on public rights-of-way to adopt flood protection measures. The BPDA updated the climate resiliency checklist, requiring new projects to show they are resilient to climate impacts, and is designing a flood resiliency zoning district that will strengthen requirements for new and retrofitted buildings. Hosting the International Climate Summit in June, where the Mayor led the creation of a new coalition of cities dedicated to buying renewable energy collectively.   Today, Boston is the top-ranked city for energy policy by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, and rating agencies cite Boston's climate work in support of the City's triple-A bond ratings. The projects outlined in Resilient Boston Harbor will require a number of different funding sources. Mayor Walsh announced that the City of Boston will commit 10 percent of all new capital funding to resilience projects. He called on Boston's state and federal government partners, as well as the private sector and non-profit and philanthropic stakeholders to join the City in committing to make these necessary investments a reality.   The strategy builds on the City of Boston's Resilience Strategy. Boston's resilience strategy is focused on ensuring every resident can reach their full potential regardless of their background, and removing the barriers of systemic racism that hinder Bostonians from having access to opportunities. Stakeholder Statements of Support: "We have an economic and moral imperative to act on climate change," said Senator Edward J. Markey. "This requires leaders at all levels of government and our business sector to work collectively to address the challenges facing our communities. As the Co-Chair of the U.S. Senate's Climate Change Task Force, I am committed to standing with local leaders, like Mayor Walsh, to be the strong federal partner our residents need as the world continues to warm and sea levels rise." "Building a resilient city is a serious challenge in response to a sobering threat, but it also brings enormous opportunity to re-think our relationship to the Harbor and create a world-class waterfront," said Kathy Abbott, President and CEO of Boston Harbor Now. "We commend Mayor Walsh for seizing this moment to design a waterfront that is more accessible, beautiful, and inclusive than ever before. The urgency of climate change requires all of us to step up and work together like never before." "Resilient Boston Harbor will not only strengthen the City against the impacts of climate change, it will create a fantastic urban waterfront, opening up many new opportunities to improve public access to the Harbor," said Bud Ris, Senior Advisor to the Boston Green Ribbon Commission. "Based on all of the analyses that have been done through Climate Ready Boston so far, this is exactly the kind of approach Boston should be taking. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the City to make Resilient Boston Harbor a reality." "Given the urgency needed to address climate change, it is exciting to see the City of Boston put forth such a bold vision for the future," said Rebecca Herst, the Executive Director of the Sustainable Solutions Lab at UMass Boston, "This is a real opportunity to keep Bostonians safe from flooding and invest in our communities. With strong leadership, driven by scientific research, policy analysis and deep community engagement, we can ensure that all Boston residents, not just those with means, are prepared for climate impacts." "I want to thank Mayor Walsh for launching Climate Ready Dorchester," said District 3 City Councilor Frank Baker. "I look forward to participating in that process and encourage my constituents to get engaged and discuss how we can increase access to our beaches while protecting our homes and roads from future flooding." "I applaud Mayor Walsh for his continued efforts to make Boston resilient for future generations," said State Representative Adrian Madaro. "Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing our City and our planet. The plan announced today will not only protect Boston's waterfront neighborhoods, but will also improve the quality of life for our residents."

中國旅遊文化部訪波士頓推廣"魅力長江"

中國文化旅遊部到波士頓推廣中國旅遊。(周菊子攝)

            (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)今年4月8日正式掛牌的”中國文化旅遊部”，10月16日組團來訪波士頓，走入哈佛大學等校園擺攤，邀約旅遊業代表晚宴，推廣”美麗中國，魅力長江”。

               在逾百名波士頓旅遊業代表出席的晚宴中，中國文化旅遊部副巡視員張西龍指出，儘管中美貿易摩擦令人擔憂，但旅遊合作將繼2016年中美舉辦旅遊年，兩國互訪超過520萬人次，中國遊客訪美支出高達350億美元後，持續增長，估計今年將超過550萬人次。

主持人介紹中國景點。

               張西龍與代表團此行，希望藉由推廣旅遊，增進中美兩國人民之間的了解。為針對”千禧世代”，10月16日白天還率團在哈佛大學擺出介紹攤位，由東西互聯文化中心汪剛柳安排了文藝表演，吸引學生駐足。

               他指出，長江是世界第三大河，流經上海，南京，武漢，重慶，杭州，成都。在53項位於中國的世界遺產中，有25項在長江流域，CNN評選的40處中國最美景點，前5名的四川九寨溝，西藏布達拉宮，四川海螺溝，雲南大理崇聖寺，香格里拉普達措國家公園，西陵峽也都在長江流域。到中國旅遊，當然應該先欣賞長江。

王書旺表演四川變臉。(周菊子攝)

               劍橋市市長幕僚長Wilford Durbin當晚代表市長出席，指出中國早於1868年首次訪問劍橋，劍橋市也是全美第二個有沉浸式中文教學的公校系統，希望雙邊關係繼續增長。

學者報告分析美國年輕遊客的調查研究。(周菊子攝)

            中國旅遊夜主持人當晚以自然風光、文化遺產、特色民俗、現代都市四個主題，介紹青海湖、世界第一高峰 - 珠穆朗母峰，西藏聖湖-納木錯，雲南虎跳峽，雲南香格里拉，長江三峽第一峽-瞿塘峽，三峽古棧道，三峽大壩，世界地質公園湖北神農架，湖南張家界，韶山，山西的廬山，井岡山，世界自然遺產三清山，道教龍虎山等四大名山，江西婺源，鄱陽湖，安徽黃山，青海塔爾寺，大昭寺，布達拉宮，四川都江堰，峨嵋山，雲南麗江古城等等景點，都讓人看得十分神往。主持人還鼓勵遊客登上長江遊輪知音號

中國駐紐約旅遊辦事處主任匡林在會上代表中國旅遊部和Travelport，中國日報簽約合作，推廣中國旅遊，分享了天普大學李想、吳洛容兩位博士的”美國千禧一代旅華市場調言語分析”。

在”中國旅遊夜”晚宴中，東西互聯文化中心汪剛柳不但被臨時徵招上陣做中翻英的即席翻譯，還為大會安排廉艷唱歌，陳美霞彈古箏，王書旺表演四川變臉等文藝表演。

廉艷(右)演唱。

當晚，中國駐紐約總領事館文化參贊李立言，代表大波士頓三大旅遊集團的Wayne’s World Media董事長Wayne V. Lee, Jr. 都在會上致詞，鼓勵美國民眾遊中國，先從長江開始。多名旅遊業者在抽獎環節中，得到南方航空公司，中國航空公司來回機票，西藏五星級旅館二晚住宿等獎品，對未來的中國之旅，紛紛表示十分期待。

中國文化旅遊部巡視員張西龍(左一起)和汪剛柳合影，感謝她即席翻譯。
(周菊子攝)

AG HEALEY SUES STARION ENERGY OVER DECEPTIVE SALES TACTICS, OVERCHARGING RESIDENTS BY $30 MILLION

AG HEALEY SUES STARION ENERGY OVER DECEPTIVE SALES TACTICS, OVERCHARGING RESIDENTS BY $30 MILLION

Company Falsely Promised 130,000 Customers Lower Electricity Bills

BOSTON – A competitive electricity supplier has been sued for allegedly using unfair and deceptive marketing and sales tactics to lure more than 130,000 Massachusetts consumers into expensive contracts with high electricity rates, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

The AG’s Office filed the lawsuit today in Suffolk Superior Court against Connecticut-based competitive electricity supplier, Starion, two of its principals, Ruzhdi Dauti and Dashmir Murtishi, and several related telemarketing companies, Telelink, LLC, Telestars, LLC, F E Z, LLC and StartelDM, LLC. The complaint alleges that the parties violated the state’s consumer protection laws by engaging in unfair sales tactics including unsolicited telemarketing calls and pre-recorded robocalls that deceived Massachusetts customers by falsely promising them lower electricity rates while signing them up for expensive contracts that ultimately made them pay millions more on their bills.

“We allege Starion Energy extorted millions of dollars from Massachusetts customers by falsely promising them big savings on their electricity bills, while overcharging them month after month,” AG Healey said. “This case is another example of why my office is seeking to stop these companies from continuing to cheat residential customers in Massachusetts.”

"Even with our strong consumer protection laws in Massachusetts, Starion and many other competitive electric supply companies continue to deceive thousands of Massachusetts families," said National Consumer Law Center Attorney Jenifer Bosco. "This is a particular hardship on the elderly and low-income families who struggle to pay basic bills, and we commend Attorney General Healey for bringing this lawsuit against a bad actor. Ultimately, ending residential sales of competitive electric supply may be the only way to stop these deceptive practices." 

According to the AG’s Office, Starion signed up more than 130,000 Massachusetts customers, who ultimately paid tens of millions more on electricity than they would have if they had stayed with their utility company.

The AG’s Office also alleges that Starion’s telemarketing entities knowingly violated the law by making calls to consumers on the state’s Do Not Call Registry and masking identity of the caller and the geographic location of the call. The company allegedly received complaints from consumers who had been listed on the registry for many years.

Starion’s telemarketing and pre-recorded robocall scripts used deceptive and misleading information including that “most consumers are overpaying on their energy bills by hundreds of dollars each year” and that new laws that have been passed in the area give consumers “the right to receive a lower rate on [their] current electric bill.”

The AG’s Office’s complaint seeks civil penalties and restitution for the defendants’ violations of the state’s consumer protection and telemarketing laws.

In March 2018, AG Healey issued the results of a report commissioned by her office that called for a ban on competitive electricity suppliers signing up new, individual residential customers in Massachusetts. The report found that Massachusetts residential electric customers who switched to a competitive electric supplier paid $176.8 million more than if they had stayed with their utility company during a two-year period from July 2015 to June 2017. The study also found that during the period studied competitive suppliers used aggressive sales tactics and appear to have targeted low-income, elderly, and minority residents.

The AG’s Office has received hundreds of residential consumer complaints concerning the unfair and deceptive conduct of competitive electricity supply companies and has returned millions of dollars to consumers impacted by these practices. In January 2015, Just Energy agreed to pay $4 million in restitution to consumers for deceptive marketing and sales, entering consumers into agreements without their consent, and charging costly termination fees. The AG’s Office also reached a $5 million settlement with Viridian Energy LLC in March 2018 for allegedly engaging in various deceptive and unfair sales tactics to switch consumers into costly contracts.

Any consumer or retailer with concerns about a competitive electric supplier using deceptive marketing practices should file a complaint with the AG’s Office or call the consumer hotline at (617) 727-8400. Consumers with questions can also contact the Consumer Division of the Department of Public Utilities at (877) 886-5066.

This case is being handled by Deputy Division Chief Nathan Forster, Assistant Attorneys General Alexander Early and Elizabeth Anderson, Investigator Kristen Salera, and Division Chief Rebecca Tepper and all of AG Healey’s Energy & Telecommunications Division.