The always outspoken Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey renewed her push for energy affordability legislation in a post on X, arguing utility profits and shareholder payouts are soaring while families struggle to pay their bills. The fight comes as basic-service electricity rates for many Eversource and National Grid customers are set to rise 11 to 12 percent starting Aug. 1, adding roughly $17 to $18 to a typical monthly bill.
Healey filed her energy affordability legislation in May 2025, and her administration projects it could save ratepayers more than $10 billion over a decade by changing how utilities purchase energy, eliminating certain charges from bills, and increasing state oversight of utility spending.
The House and Senate versions of the bill are now in conference committee. National Grid, Eversource, Berkshire Gas and Liberty have all sought rate increases over the past year, some as high as 55%, and Eversource and National Grid shareholders received billions of dollars in payouts last year, according to Healey’s office.
Healey wrote on X: “Utility profits and shareholder payouts are soaring while families and businesses struggle to pay their energy bills. That’s outrageous. It’s time to pass my bill to hold utilities accountable and put an end to business-as-usual. People need relief — and can’t afford to wait.“
Massachusetts GOP Clap Back
The companies she’s targeting pushed back. National Grid spokesperson Brendan Moss said measures that simply “shift costs to future customers” won’t “deliver meaningful affordability.” Eversource spokesperson William Hinkle said the legislative debate has focused solely on projected savings without enough attention to the “costs of the central proposals,” per CommonWealth Beacon.
Opponents of the Governor were quick to respond to her post. @jfont930 on X argued that she was to blame: “Says the person who bragged about stopping two natural gas pipelines as AG, choked off energy supply, and then spent over $1B on housing, food, and medical care for new arrivals. You spiked our utility bills and drained state funds—don’t blame power companies for your math.”
@mdgriffin02 on X stated: “Imagine how much lower rates would be if we could capture all of the methane expunged by Healey’s obese administration.” @stayathomeMo on X added: “It’s your fault lady. Everyone knows it. It’s your policy that got us here. Slick move trying to blame utility companies. Not fooling anyone.“
The House and Senate versions of the Massachusetts bill remain in conference committee, with Healey pushing lawmakers to preserve its cost-cutting and oversight provisions before a final vote.
