⚠️ Among the Most Expensive Electricity in the Continental U.S.
MA residential rate: 29.45¢/kWh — national average: 18.83¢ (EIA Apr 2026)
Where that ranks: —
Your bill includes hidden costs: $1.36B RGGI carbon tax, RPS compliance, offshore wind contracts
H.5151 passed House 128-27 on Feb 26, 2026 — 107 pages, 48hr vote, zero public hearings
Vineyard Wind blade failure (July 2024) — debris across Nantucket beaches, $10.5M settlement
Gov. Healey boasted about blocking two gas pipelines, then claimed she never stopped them
State spent $534K fighting records requests that exposed zero compliance with its own climate rules
The Policy-to-Price Pipeline
MA Residential Rate
29.45¢
Per kWh (EIA Apr 2026)
National Average
18.83¢
Per kWh
Annual Overpayment
$765
Per household vs US avg
H.5151 Relief
~$150
Per year — — of gap
FL Rate
15.38¢
Per kWh — half of MA
2025 Annual Avg Premium
+76%
30.48¢ MA vs 17.30¢ US — full-year EIA
Residential Electricity Rates — MA vs. Selected States (¢/kWh)
Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, April 2026
MA Rate Premium Over National Average — Historical
Source: EIA, annual residential average rates —
📋 Why Is Massachusetts Electricity So Expensive?
Massachusetts electricity costs are driven by a combination of policy decisions: the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) mandating 35%+ renewable sources by 2030, RGGI — a cap-and-trade carbon tax that has extracted $1.36 billion from MA ratepayers since 2008, legally guaranteed "full cost recovery" for offshore wind contracts meaning ratepayers absorb all costs, blocking natural gas pipeline capacity (constraining supply), and building electrification mandates that increase demand while constraining supply. Each adds layers of cost that appear as line items on your bill.
Electricity Rate Deep Dive
⚠️ What's Actually On Your Bill
Supply charge: Actual cost of generating electricity — only ~40% of your bill
Distribution charge: Eversource/National Grid delivery — ~30% of bill
Renewable energy charge: RPS compliance costs passed to you — ~10%
Energy efficiency charge: Mass Save programs you may never use — ~7%
Transition charge: Paying off old utility contracts from deregulation — ~8%
RGGI costs: $1.36B in carbon auction costs since 2008 — passed to ratepayers
MA Electricity Bill Breakdown (Typical Residential)
Source: Eversource/National Grid rate schedules; DPU filings
MA vs. National Rate Gap Over Time
Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, —
New England Electricity Rates — All Among the Highest (EIA Apr 2026)
| State | Rate (¢/kWh) | vs. National | Annual Cost (600 kWh/mo) | Extra vs. US Avg |
|---|
| Massachusetts | 29.45 | +56% | $2,120 | +$765 |
| Rhode Island | 28.30 | +50% | $2,038 | +$682 |
| Connecticut | 32.24 | +71% | $2,321 | +$966 |
| New York | 29.45 | +56% | $2,120 | +$765 |
| US Average | 18.83 | — | $1,356 | — |
| Florida | 15.38 | -18% | $1,107 | -$248 |
| Texas | 16.99 | -10% | $1,223 | -$132 |
Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, April 2026.
🏭 The Statistic Nobody Talks About: MA Industrial Rates Are +112% Above National Average
MA industrial rate: 18.34¢/kWh — national average: 8.65¢ (EIA Oct 2025)
MA commercial rate: 21.98¢/kWh vs US avg 13.41¢ — +64% above national
Businesses pay more than double the national average — a direct driver of job and business flight
6 of the 10 most expensive states for residential electricity are in New England — policy is regional
MA Electricity Rates by Sector vs. National Average (EIA Oct 2025)
| Sector | MA Rate (¢/kWh) | US Average (¢/kWh) | MA Premium | Impact |
|---|
| Residential | 31.37 | 17.98 | +74% | /yr per household extra |
| Commercial | 21.98 | 13.41 | +64% | Higher operating costs for small businesses |
| Industrial | 18.34 | 8.65 | +112% | Double national avg — drives manufacturing exodus |
| All Sectors | 24.82 | 13.63 | +82% | Broadest measure of MA's mandate premium |
Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, October 2025. Residential rate updated to Apr 2026 (29.45¢) in hero stats and overview.
H.5151 — The $9 Billion Illusion
⚠️ Passed House 128-27 on Feb 26, 2026 — Published as H.5175
107 pages released Tuesday. Ways & Means got 45 minutes to review.
126 amendments filed by 5pm Wednesday. Floor vote Thursday past 10pm.
Claims $9B in savings over 10 years. Reality: ~$150/yr per household (— of gap).
Mass Save cuts backloaded to 2027 — zero relief this winter.
Adds 10 GW offshore wind + 10 GW solar mandates with 30-year contract authority.
Lobbying cost recovery ban stripped. GSEP pipe spending untouched.
Annual Impact Per Household
Source: EIA Apr 2026, bill text analysis.
Where the "Savings" Actually Come From
Source: Bill sections analyzed against verified Eversource rate breakdown.
Annual MA Overpayment
$765
29.45¢ vs 18.83¢ × 600 kWh/mo
Their Claim / HH / Year
$310
$9B ÷ 2.9M ÷ 10 yrs
Realistic Relief
~$150
Mass Save + ACP + net metering
Gap Closed
—
$150 of $765. —
State Comparison — Monthly Bill at 600 kWh
Source: EIA Apr 2026 rates × 600 kWh/month
NEW COSTS H.5151 ADDS TO FUTURE BILLS:
10 GW offshore wind — long-term contracts recovered through ratepayer tariffs
10 GW solar procurement — same cost recovery mechanism
Central Procurement Fund — tariff-funded for 30-year contracts
State offshore wind co-investment — ratepayer $ to "accelerate" developers
Inclusive Utility Investment — ALL ratepayers subsidize participants
Data center renewable energy mandate — added during 10pm session
"Somebody who's getting a bill today, tomorrow, next month — what are they going to see for relief? It's a lot more down the road."House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R)
This isn't reform. It's a remodel of the same machine.
You save $12/month starting 2027. Every new mandate becomes tomorrow's line item.
What They Cut vs. What They Kept
They trimmed branches while fertilizing the root.
Cuts vs. Untouched Policy Charges — $/yr Per Household
✂️ What They Cut
Mass Save — $1B cut$4.5B → ~$3.5B (DPU-approved budget, 2025-2027 cycle)
Net Metering — $380M / 10yrNew "supply rate" credits for large facilities
ACP Rebates — 70% returnedTEMPORARY — 3 years, then conditional triggers
Supplier Scams — BANNED$5M bonds, low-income protected, $100K fines
Utility Audits — NEWDPU can audit every 5 yrs. Penalties can't hit ratepayers.
~$150/yr
Realistic Savings
🔒 Kept + Added
🔒 Net Zero by 2050Driving $377/yr in policy charges — UNTOUCHED
🔒 50% Emissions Cut by 2030Legally binding sublimit — UNTOUCHED
📈 10 GW Offshore Wind by 2040EXPANDED — only 800 MW contracted in a decade
🆕 10 GW Solar by 2040NEW mandate — costs "shared collectively"
🏛️ New Procurement AgencyDiv. of Clean Energy Procurement — tariff funded
💰 Central Procurement FundRatepayer money for 30-year contracts
💰 Offshore Wind Co-InvestmentYOUR money to "accelerate" developers
💸 Inclusive Utility InvestmentALL ratepayers subsidize participants' upgrades
❌ Lobbying Ban — STRIPPEDHealey proposed banning utility lobbying cost recovery. House killed it.
❌ GSEP Pipe Spending — UNTOUCHEDGas utility pipe replacement costs soaring.
$377/yr
Policy Charges — Untouched + Growing
The Speed Run — 107 Pages in 48 Hours
45 MIN
Ways & Means Review
vs
99.97% LESS TIME
48 HRS
Public to Floor Vote
vs
180 DAYS
Healey's Timeline
90× FASTER
Tue Feb 24
107-page bill dropped
Ways & Means releases text. Members get 45 minutes to vote it out. No public review.
Wed Feb 25
126 amendments — 5pm deadline
Reps get ~24 hours to read 107 pages.
Thu Feb 26
House vote — 128-27 → H.5175
Marathon session past 10pm. Uyterhoeven amendment fails 17-137. Published as H.5175.
New procurement bureaucracy
10 GW offshore wind mandate
10 GW solar by 2040
Central Procurement Fund
State wind co-investment
Inclusive Utility Investment
Solar licensing regime
DER provider licensing
V2G interconnection
Thermal energy labor rules
Highway transmission
Gas co. geothermal
Community solar (4 pgs)
Utility asset leasing
Flexible interconnection
Renewable natural gas
Gas just transition
Data center renewables req.
"This just can't be how we legislate. It doesn't make sense."Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven (D-Somerville)
Michlewitz on the 2030 mandates: "The membership was not ready for that conversation today."
They know the mandates are the problem. They won't touch them.
Offshore Wind — Billions in Costs, Foreign Profits
Vineyard Wind Settlement
$10.5M
Nantucket blade failure
Plymouth Turbine
Collapsed
Nov 2025 — blade in cranberry bog
Contract Structure
Full Cost Recovery
Ratepayers absorb ALL costs
Developer Origins
🇪🇸 🇩🇰 🇳🇱
Spain, Denmark, Netherlands
⚠️ The Offshore Wind Failure Timeline
July 2024: Vineyard Wind turbine blade fails — debris across Nantucket beaches
Oct 2024: GE Vernova reaches $10.5M settlement with Nantucket
Nov 2025: Plymouth wind turbine — 100-foot blade collapses into cranberry bog
2023–2024: Multiple offshore wind contracts cancelled or renegotiated at higher prices
Section 83C guarantees developers "full cost recovery" + utilities get 2.75% profit
H.5151 expands to 10 GW offshore wind + adds state co-investment with developers
Offshore Wind Projects — Who Gets Paid
| Project | Developer | Parent Company | Country | Status |
|---|
| Vineyard Wind 1 | Avangrid / CIP | Iberdrola 🇪🇸 / CIP 🇩🇰 | Spain / Denmark | Blade failure, operating |
| New England Wind 1 | Avangrid | Iberdrola 🇪🇸 | Spain | Development |
| New England Wind 2 | Avangrid | Iberdrola 🇪🇸 | Spain | Development |
| SouthCoast Wind | Shell / Ocean Winds | Shell 🇳🇱 / EDPR 🇫🇷 | Netherlands / France | Renegotiated higher |
Source: BOEM filings; developer public disclosures; state procurement records
📋 "Full Cost Recovery" — What It Means for You
Under Massachusetts law (Section 83C, Ch. 169, Acts of 2008 as amended by Ch. 188, Acts of 2016), offshore wind power purchase agreements include "full cost recovery" provisions. Utilities can pass 100% of contract costs to ratepayers. Developers are guaranteed revenue. If costs increase, if turbines fail, if contracts need renegotiation: ratepayers absorb every dollar. Utilities collect a guaranteed 2.75% margin. The risk sits entirely with Massachusetts households.
📜 The Balance Sheet Protection Clause — Buried in §83C
The same statute that mandates full cost recovery for ratepayers also gives utilities an explicit escape hatch for themselves. The exact language from Section 83C (Ch. 188, Acts of 2016):
"A distribution company may decline to pursue a proposal if the proposal's terms and conditions would require the contract obligation to place an unreasonable burden on the distribution company's balance sheet; provided, however, that the distribution company shall take all reasonable actions to structure the contracts... to prevent or mitigate an impact on the balance sheet or income statement of the distribution company or its parent company."
Translation: Utilities can walk away from any contract that hurts their financials. Ratepayers cannot. Utilities must protect their own balance sheet — while ratepayers absorb 100% of whatever contracts do get signed. When Healey (as AG) called utility profits "outrageous" in 2019, her own office confirmed: "the utilities are guaranteed full cost recovery from their customers." She then signed Ch. 179 (2022) extending the framework.
Source: Ch. 188, Acts of 2016, §12 (Section 83C); CommonWealth Beacon, April 2019; Ch. 179, Acts of 2022
The Mandate Stack — Policy Decisions Driving Your Bill
⚠️ Every Mandate Adds Cost
RPS: 35% renewable by 2030, increasing annually
RGGI: $1.36 billion extracted since 2008 — $200M/year and rising
Net-Zero 2050: Economy-wide carbon neutrality
Building Electrification: New construction mandates increase demand
Pipeline Opposition: Healey boasted about blocking pipelines
Energy Storage: 5,000 MW by 2035
The Legal Chain — How the Statutes Connect to Your Bill
Every charge on your bill traces back to a specific legislative vote. This is the unbroken chain from law to line item.
Ch. 298, Acts of 2008
Global Warming Solutions Act (Ch. 21N)
Enacted 2008 — Voice vote
M.G.L. c. 25A, §11F
Renewable Portfolio Standard — 35%+ mandate
Drives RPS compliance charges
Ch. 169, Acts of 2008 §83C
Green Communities Act — offshore wind procurement
Amended Ch. 188/2016 & Ch. 179/2022
St. 2024, c. 239, §83E
"Protecting Ratepayers" Act — storage mandate
House: 125–17 · Senate: 38–2
YOUR BILL
29.45¢/kWh — —
$765/yr above national avg
Source: MA General Laws; Acts of the Legislature; EIA Apr 2026
Your Bill Line-by-Line — Each Charge Linked to Its Statute
The legislature writes the mandate. The statute creates the charge. You pay the bill. Here's the complete chain for every line item.
| Bill Line Item | % of Bill | Statutory Authority | What the Law Says |
|---|
| Renewable Energy Charge | ~8% | M.G.L. c. 25A, §11F | RPS mandate — distribution companies must procure qualifying renewable energy and recover costs from customers |
| Energy Efficiency / Mass Save | ~7% | M.G.L. c. 25, §21 | Requires distribution companies to fund energy efficiency programs — costs recovered through customer charges |
| Clean Energy / Offshore Wind | ~4% | Ch. 169, Acts of 2008, §83C
(as amended St. 2016, c. 188, §12) | "Full cost recovery" — all PPA costs pass through to ratepayers; utilities receive up to 2.75% remuneration |
| RGGI Carbon Pass-Through | ~2% | M.G.L. c. 21N, §§1–9 | Cap-and-trade carbon auction costs — $200M/yr extracted, passed to ratepayers through supply charges |
| Transmission Charge | ~13% | M.G.L. c. 164, §1 | ISO-NE grid fees and capacity market costs — constrained by blocked pipeline infrastructure |
| Distribution Charge | ~30% | M.G.L. c. 164, §1A | DPU-regulated delivery charge — includes GSEP pipe replacement costs (untouched by H.5151) |
| Supply Charge | ~40% | Market rate | Actual generation cost — elevated by pipeline constraints (ISO-NE confirms gas dependency drives winter spikes) |
Source: M.G.L. c. 25A §11F; M.G.L. c. 25 §21; Ch. 169/2008 §83C; Ch. 188/2016 §12; M.G.L. c. 21N; M.G.L. c. 164; Eversource/NGrid rate schedules; DPU filings
The Legislative Record — They Voted for This
Every mandate has a roll call. Near-unanimous passage means this wasn't accidental — it was architected. Only 19 legislators voted against the major bills that guarantee you pay.
| Law | Citation | What It Mandated | House Vote | Senate Vote | Result |
|---|
| Green Communities Act | Ch. 169, Acts of 2008 | Created RPS + offshore wind procurement authority (§83/83C/83D) | ✅ Voice Vote | ✅ Voice Vote | Enacted — no recorded opposition |
| Global Warming Solutions Act | Ch. 298, Acts of 2008 (Ch. 21N) | Net zero mandate, RGGI authority, market-based pricing mechanisms | ✅ Voice Vote | ✅ Voice Vote | Enacted — no recorded opposition |
| Offshore Wind Expansion | St. 2016, c. 188 | 5,600 MW offshore wind, Section 83C "full cost recovery" codified | 157–0 | 39–0 | Unanimous in both chambers |
| Climate Roadmap Act | St. 2021, c. 8 | Net zero 2050 legally binding; 5,600 MW additional wind; 2030 sublimits | 144–14 | 38–2 | Near-unanimous; 16 no votes total |
| "Protecting Ratepayers" Act | St. 2024, c. 239 (§83E) | 5,000 MW storage mandate with guaranteed cost pass-through to ratepayers | 125–17 | 38–2 | 19 total no votes — all Republican |
| H.5151 → H.5175 | 194th Session, 2026 | 10 GW wind + 10 GW solar mandates; 30-yr contracts; central procurement fund | 128–27 | Pending (Sen. Barrett) | Awaiting Senate version |
Source: MA Legislature roll call records; Senate Roll Call #399 (2024); MA General Laws
📜 The Title That Gaslights You
The 2024 storage mandate law (St. 2024, c. 239) is officially titled:
"An Act Promoting a Clean Energy Grid, Advancing Equity and Protecting Ratepayers"
Its core provision, Section 83E, guarantees full cost recovery for all payments made under approved long-term contracts — passed directly to ratepayers. The law that mandates you pay is named after protecting you from paying. House: 125–17. Senate: 38–2.
Sen. Ryan Fattman (R), one of 2 Senate no votes, said at the time: "This bill will raise prices of utilities and electric bills for consumers and, in fact, NOT protect them."
Source: St. 2024, c. 239 (enrolled bill); MA Senate Roll Call #399; MA Legislature
Massachusetts Energy Mandates & Their Cost Impact
| Mandate | Requirement | Cost Mechanism | Who Pays |
|---|
| Renewable Portfolio Standard | 35%+ by 2030 | RPS compliance charges (M.G.L. c. 25A, §11F) | Ratepayers |
| RGGI Carbon Tax | $1.36B total ($200M/yr) | Auction costs passed through (M.G.L. c. 21N) | Ratepayers |
| Clean Energy Standard | 80% by 2050 | Additional procurement (St. 2021, c. 8) | Ratepayers |
| Offshore Wind | 10 GW by 2040 | Full cost recovery PPAs (§83C) | Ratepayers |
| Solar Mandate | 10 GW by 2040 | Tariff-funded procurement (H.5151) | Ratepayers |
| Energy Storage | 5,000 MW by 2035 | Utility rate base (St. 2024, c. 239, §83E) | Ratepayers |
| Building Electrification | No new gas | Higher electric demand (St. 2021, c. 8) | Ratepayers + Homeowners |
| Net-Zero 2050 | Economy-wide neutrality | $130B–$400B+ (M.G.L. c. 21N, §3(b)) | Everyone |
Source: MA DOER; DPU filings; Climate Act (2021); Clean Energy and Climate Plan; H.5151 bill text
RGGI Total (2008–2025)
$1.36B
Carbon tax from MA ratepayers
2025 Alone
$200.4M
Up from $28M in 2008
Recent 5-Year Avg
$149.6M
2021–2025 average per year
Direct Bill Relief
~15%
Of RGGI proceeds returned
RGGI Carbon Tax — MA Auction Proceeds by Year ($M)
Source: RGGI Inc. Total: $1.36 billion.
How RGGI Proceeds Are Spent (All RGGI States)
Source: RGGI Proceeds Report 2023
📋 The Double-System Problem
Renewable energy is intermittent. Massachusetts ratepayers pay for the renewable generators AND for conventional backup plants that must stand ready. This "capacity cost" adds billions annually. You're paying for two parallel power systems.
Follow the Money — Who Benefits
⚠️ The Lobbying Loop
Foreign wind developers spent $4.7M+ lobbying MA legislators
Smith, Costello & Crawford collected $1.41M from Avangrid + Vistra
Crawford personally donated $59,150 to 115 legislators
Rep. Cusack: 60% of Nov fundraising = energy industry
Eversource + National Grid: $439K lobbying in H1 2022 alone
H.5151 stripped Healey's proposal to ban utility lobbying cost recovery
Green Energy Lobbying Totals (MA Secretary of State Records)
| Entity | Country | Lobbying Total | Primary Firm |
|---|
| NextEra Energy | FL | $1.64M | Multiple firms |
| Ørsted | 🇩🇰 Denmark | $1.03M | BCB Government Relations |
| Avangrid/Iberdrola | 🇪🇸 Spain | $930K | Smith, Costello & Crawford |
| Vistra | TX | $529K | Smith, Costello & Crawford |
| SouthCoast Wind/Shell | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $357K | Commonwealth/Dewey Square |
| REAL (Trade Group) | — | $256K | O'Neill and Partners |
| TOTAL | | $4.74M | 49% foreign-owned |
Source: MA Secretary of State Lobbyist Public Search, 2020–2025
The Funding Chain — Who Pushes the Mandates
| Entity | Type | Funding | What They Push |
|---|
| Acadia Center | Advocacy | Barr Foundation, Energy Foundation | RPS increases, RGGI, electrification |
| Environmental League of MA | Advocacy | Barr Foundation, Bloomberg | Net-zero mandates, offshore wind |
| Barr Foundation | Private Foundation | Amos & Barbara Hostetter | $30M+/yr in climate grants |
| Energy Foundation | Pass-through | Hewlett, Packard, Bloomberg | State-level clean energy policy |
Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (Form 990); OCPF; Boston Globe (Dec 2025)
📋 The Loop
Private foundations fund advocacy groups. Those groups lobby Beacon Hill for mandates. Legislators pass laws with "full cost recovery" for developers. Foreign developers get guaranteed contracts. RGGI extracts $200M/year from ratepayers. Utilities pass all costs through. Everyone in the loop gets paid except you.
$534K to Hide Climate Non-Compliance
They mandate the rules, then don't follow them. Then spend your money hiding it.
Legal Fees to Fight Disclosure
$534K
Paid to a Boston law firm since April 2025. $417K from "Climate Adaptation" funds.
Agency Compliance Reports Filed
ZERO
State agencies required to file annual emissions reports since 2019. Not a single report.
Healey Climate Agenda Estimate
$130B
Administration's own estimate through 2050. Independent estimate: $400B+.
Records Request Response
NONE
Both DEP and the Comptroller claimed "no responsive records."
"While Massachusetts was accusing Exxon of climate deception, the state was fighting a records request that exposed its own failure to comply with one of its own climate rules."Paul Diego Craney, Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance — Boston Herald, March 2026
The Hypocrisy Chain
STATE SUES EXXON
For "climate deception"
→
EXXON REQUESTS RECORDS
On MA's own compliance
→
STATE FIGHTS DISCLOSURE
$534K in YOUR taxes
SWORN TESTIMONY
Zero reports since 2019
→
ZERO ENFORCEMENT
No inspections taken
→
SAME STATE: $130B+
In new climate costs for YOU
🚨 D.P.U. 25-200 — The State's Own Admission
On December 15, 2025, the Department of Public Utilities opened an investigation on its own motion — not in response to a complaint. The language of the order is a direct acknowledgment of every problem this dashboard documents.
Official Purpose of the Investigation
"Comprehensive review of gas and electric delivery rates and charges with the aims of containing customer costs, reducing utility bill volatility, and increasing utility bill transparency and accessibility."
DPU Order D.P.U. 25-200, December 15, 2025
Their Own Words on Urgency
"The Department initiated this investigation to provide relief to ratepayers as soon as possible."
DPU Order D.P.U. 25-200, December 15, 2025
What the Investigation Requires
Utilities (Eversource, National Grid, Unitil) must submit multiple years of detailed rate data
DPU ordered "research into historic rates" — implying lack of prior transparency
Investigation covers both electric and gas delivery: Berkshire Gas, Eversource, Liberty, National Grid, Unitil
Key word: the DPU opened this on its own motion — meaning the agency itself concluded action was necessary without a ratepayer complaint triggering it
The bottom line: The state regulatory body that approved every rate increase is now investigating whether those rates are too high. They are admitting — in an official order — that costs are out of control and bills lack transparency. This is the same DPU that has never once declined a utility rate request linked to a legislatively mandated charge.
📊 ISO-NE Admits It: "Captive Demand" on a Constrained Grid
The ISO-NE Internal Market Monitor's official Wholesale Electricity Markets Primer (May 2025) — the grid operator's own publication — contains these admissions:
On Gas Dependency & Pipeline Constraints
"The region must import much of its fuel from outside sources... the region still relies on a network of interstate pipelines and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports to fuel its significant natural gas-fired generation fleet. This reliance on natural gas drives increased electricity costs in the winter when demand for natural gas for use in heating greatly increases, and limited pipeline capacity becomes constrained."
ISO-NE Internal Market Monitor, Wholesale Electricity Markets Primer, May 2025
On Consumer "Captive Demand"
"Energy markets have a fundamental demand-side flaw because there is a lack of demand responsiveness to changes in price. Who looks up the price of electricity before deciding whether to turn on lights, the air conditioner, or other appliances? With such captive demand that does not respond to increasing prices, it is more likely that suppliers, at times, have market power."
ISO-NE Internal Market Monitor, Wholesale Electricity Markets Primer, May 2025
On "Missing Money" Capacity Payments
"In the energy market, suppliers are incented to sell their output at their marginal cost. However, marginal-cost bidding of energy ignores the fixed costs associated with building and running a power plant... By obtaining a CSO, suppliers have an opportunity to recover their fixed costs, or 'missing money,' through the capacity payments."
ISO-NE Internal Market Monitor, Wholesale Electricity Markets Primer, May 2025
💡 Why This Matters for MA Ratepayers
The grid operator officially confirms: (1) Pipeline constraints that Healey caused drive winter price spikes. (2) Ratepayers are captive demand with no price visibility. (3) Suppliers extract "missing money" capacity payments from consumers who can't opt out. Massachusetts ratepayers are paying for two parallel systems — renewable generators and the backup conventional plants that must run when wind and solar don't.
🔒 Massachusetts Transparency Failures
One police dept demanded $1.8 million for license-plate-reader records
In Lexington, a school employee discussed inflating production costs to deter requesters
MA has one of the weakest public records systems in the country
$534K came from "Climate Adaptation and Preparedness" funds
They mandate $130B in climate costs. They don't follow their own rules. They spend your money hiding it.
The $534K in legal fees could have funded actual compliance.
⛽ Gasoline vs. Utility Energy — A 15-Year Cost Comparison
📊 The Core Finding: Two Very Different Markets
MA gasoline tracks the US average within ±3% — a true market price
MA electricity is 79% above the US average in 2025, up from 27% in 2010
MA natural gas rose 97% (2010–2025) vs 30% nationally
Even the 2022 all-time gas price record ($3.98/gal) was closer to the US average than MA electricity is today
Regular Gasoline — MA vs US Annual Average ($/gal)
Source: EIA Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices, annual averages.
Residential Electricity — MA vs US (¢/kWh)
Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly
MA Premium Over US Average — All Energy Types (%)
All energy types from EIA data.
NE Diesel vs US — Annual Average ($/gal)
Source: EIA Weekly On-Highway Diesel Prices, NE PADD1A vs US.
Full Price History — Real EIA Data · Annual Averages
| Year | Gas US | Gas MA | MA± | Diesel US | NE Diesel | NE± | Elec MA (¢) | Elec US (¢) | Elec± |
|---|
Gasoline/Diesel: EIA (annual averages from weekly data). Electricity: EIA Electric Power Monthly + BLS.
⛽ Why Gasoline Stays Close to the US Average
Gasoline is a nationally traded commodity priced off crude oil. There is no state legislature that can mandate a premium on crude. When oil fell in 2015–16 and again in 2020, MA gasoline fell with it. Utility energy is the opposite: every legislative mandate creates a permanent floor. Rates never fall when markets fall.
Annual Household Total Energy Burden — MA vs US ($)
Electricity (600 kWh/mo) + Natural gas (700 therms/yr) + Gasoline (500 gal/yr)
Computed from EIA annual averages. Hover to see the annual MA overspend.
⚖️ The Equivalence — What It Would Take in Gasoline
The Gasoline Equivalence
MA utility mandates cost the average household —/yr more than the US average. To generate that same extra burden through gasoline alone (— gal/yr), prices would need to reach:
—
per gallon
— above today's MA price of —
— the all-time US record of — (June 2022)
PRICE GAUGE — $/GALLON · SCALE: $0–—
Price Comparison — What's Real vs. What Would Be Needed
Scale: $0–—/gal · Vertical line marks the 2022 all-time record (—)
The —/Gal Breakdown
Where each cent of the equivalence comes from
⚡ Electricity mandate premium
—
—
🔥 Natural gas pipeline/mandate premium
—
—
Total rise needed from today's —
—
Monthly Hidden Burden
—/mo extra — what it looks like in everyday terms
—
extra per month vs US avg
The Outrage Asymmetry
A 50¢/gal gasoline spike dominates headlines. The utility mandate premium is — the size of it — and generates almost no public reaction at all.
50¢ gas spike (gets headlines)—
MA utility mandate premium (silent)—
How the utility premium compounds over time
2010
MA extra burden: ~$537/yr
Electricity 27% above national avg. Gas pipeline intact.
2015–2017
Gas spike then crash — utility rates keep climbing
Gasoline fell from $3.40 → $2.11 and back. MA electricity rose through the entire cycle.
2017
Pipeline blocked — natural gas premium widens
Access Northeast killed. MA nat gas supply constrained.
2022
Record gas prices — still can't match utility premium
MA gasoline hit $3.98/gal. Yet the utility mandate premium was already larger.
2025
Gasoline below national average — utilities at record high
MA gasoline is $0.13 cheaper than the US average. MA electricity is 79% more expensive. The market delivered relief. Policy did not.
Gasoline would need to reach —/gal to impose the burden MA utility mandates already impose today.
The market delivered affordable gasoline. Policy blocked affordable electricity.
🏙️ Boston's 2030 Climate Action Plan — The City-Level Mandate Machine
Released April 27, 2026, Wu's 110-page plan adds a new layer of mandates on top of the state policies already driving MA electricity to — — —. The same political party that created the cost crisis now claims to be solving it.
⚠️ The Core Contradiction
Wu claims plan will "lower energy costs" — while mandating building electrification that Eversource projects will increase electricity demand 33% by 2033
BCCE "saves $200/yr" — but only on supply (~40% of bill). The $765/yr mandate premium is untouched.
BERDO forces large buildings to net-zero by 2050 — compliance costs passed to tenants and ratepayers
Plan celebrates "48% reduction without new plan" then adds massive new mandates anyway
$105M+ in federal climate funding rescinded by Trump — who fills the gap? You do.
Studying congestion pricing — a new tax on driving into your own city
BCCE "Savings"
$200/yr
Supply charge only — 40% of bill
Mandate Premium
$765/yr
What policy actually costs you
Demand Increase
+33%
Eversource ESMP projection by 2033
BERDO Deadline
Net-Zero 2050
Large buildings — costs to tenants
Federal $ Lost
$105M+
Rescinded since Jan 2025
The BCCE Illusion — What Wu Won't Tell You
What BCCE Actually Covers vs. Your Full Bill
Source: Eversource rate schedules; BCCE program data; DPU filings. BCCE only affects the supply portion.
BCCE "Savings" vs. Mandate Premium — Annual $
Source: BCCE program ($200/yr avg); EIA rate data ($765/yr overpayment vs US avg at 600 kWh/mo)
📋 How the BCCE Shell Game Works
Boston Community Choice Electricity (authorized under M.G.L. c. 164, § 134) is a municipal aggregation program. It replaces Eversource as your electricity supplier at a lower rate: $0.13644/kWh (BCCE Basic) vs. $0.15629/kWh (Eversource residential). That's real — about $200/yr for a typical household.
But here's what Wu leaves out: BCCE only affects the supply charge, which is ~40% of your total electric bill. The other 60% — distribution, transmission, RPS compliance, RGGI pass-through, Mass Save surcharge, transition charges — is completely untouched. Those are the charges driven by the state mandate stack that Wu and Healey both championed. You "save" $200 on supply while paying $765 in mandate premiums. That's not a solution — it's a distraction.
The Legislation That's Actually Driving Your Bill
Wu's plan never mentions these laws. Every one was supported or signed by the same political party now claiming to lower your costs.
Massachusetts Laws Driving Energy Costs — Chapter & Section
| Law | Citation | What It Does | Cost to You | Wu/Healey Position |
|---|
| Global Warming Solutions Act | Ch. 298, Acts of 2008 → M.G.L. Ch. 21N | Mandates 50% emissions cut by 2030, 75% by 2040, net-zero 2050 | Authorizes ALL market-based pricing mechanisms on your bill | Both support — Wu mirrors at city level |
| Green Communities Act — Section 83C | Ch. 169, Acts of 2008, §83C | Offshore wind procurement mandate with "full cost recovery" | Ratepayers absorb 100% of wind contract costs + 2.75% utility profit | Both support expanded wind mandates |
| Utility Remuneration (amended) | Ch. 179, Acts of 2022 | Reduced utility cut from 2.75% to 2.25% on wind contracts | Marginal reduction — core cost recovery untouched | Healey signed |
| Renewable Portfolio Standard | M.G.L. Ch. 25A, §11F | 35%+ renewable by 2030, increasing annually | RPS compliance charges on every bill (~10% of total) | Both support increases |
| RGGI Participation | Ch. 21N, §§1–9 | Cap-and-trade carbon auction — $1.36B extracted since 2008 | $200M/yr and rising — passed to ratepayers | Both support |
| "Protecting Ratepayers" Act | St. 2024, c. 239, §83E | 5,000 MW storage mandate with guaranteed cost pass-through | Full cost recovery — ratepayers pay for all storage contracts | Healey signed Nov 2024 |
| H.5151 → H.5175 | 194th Session, 2026 | 10 GW wind + 10 GW solar mandates, 30-yr contract authority | New procurement costs, ratepayer-funded | Wu praised; Healey proposed |
| Municipal Aggregation | M.G.L. c. 164, § 134 | Authorizes BCCE — supply-only rate competition | Real but limited: ~$200/yr, supply only | Wu's signature program |
| BERDO (City Ordinance) | CBC Ch. VII, §7-2.2 | Large buildings must hit net-zero emissions by 2050 | Compliance costs passed to tenants via rent/fees | Passed Oct 2021 (Janey); Wu enforcing & expanding |
Source: MA General Laws; Acts of the Legislature; Boston Municipal Code (CBC Ch. VII, §7-2.2); DPU filings; MA Legislature roll calls
Wu's Plan — What It Actually Does vs. What She Claims
📢 What Wu Claims
"Fighting climate change provides a generational opportunity to create good-paying jobs, more affordable energy"Wu press release, April 27, 2026
"Energy savings and bold solutions to tackle climate change go hand-in-hand"Wu on BCCE, Dec 2025
"On track to reduce emissions by 48% by 2030"Plan executive summary — claims success without new mandates
"Lower energy costs for residents"Stated goal of plan strategies
"$260M saved via BCCE"2021–2024 cumulative claim
$200/yr
BCCE Supply Savings (Real)
🚨 What's Actually Happening
Eversource projects +33% electricity demandFrom mandated building electrification — on a grid already at 29.45¢/kWh
BERDO compliance: billions in building retrofits~3,500 large buildings (5% of total, 40% of emissions). Costs passed to tenants.
Congestion pricing study launchedNew fees/tolls for driving into Boston — hits working families hardest
$105M+ federal funding goneNo replacement source identified. City capital plan: $4.5B FY26-30.
Gas system decommissioning advocatedEliminating the cheaper energy option for heating
$765/yr
Mandate Premium — Untouched & Growing
The 33% Demand Increase Nobody Discusses
+33%
Eversource's own Electric Sector Modernization Plan projects Boston electricity demand rising 33% by 2033 — driven by the building electrification mandates in Wu's plan and Healey's state policies. More demand on a grid already at — — —. Who pays for the substation upgrades, new transmission, and distribution capacity? Ratepayers.
BERDO: The Hidden Rent Increase
~3,500
Large buildings (15+ units residential, 20K+ sq ft commercial) covered by BERDO must reach net-zero by 2050. Just 5% of Boston's buildings — but 40% of its emissions. Compliance requires heat pump conversions, envelope upgrades, and electrification costing owners hundreds of thousands per property. Fines: up to $1,000/day for non-compliance. These costs get passed to tenants through rent increases and CAM charges. Wu's plan acknowledges "financing challenges" (p.191) but offers no cost protection for tenants.
Gas System Decommissioning
🚫⛽
Wu's plan explicitly advocates for "strategic decommissioning of the gas system" (p.137). Natural gas is currently cheaper than electricity for heating. Eliminating it forces households onto the electric grid — at 29.45¢/kWh. National Grid's GSEP pipe replacement costs are already on your bill; now they want to abandon the pipes entirely.
Congestion Pricing: A New Tax
$$
The plan calls for studying "parking fees, tolls, and congestion-related fees" to discourage driving. Councilor Ed Flynn: "The economy of Boston is struggling. Now is not the time for an expensive expansion of city regulations." This hits working families who commute by car because the MBTA is unreliable.
"Very similar to the Commonwealth and the nation, I think that we are going to be challenged to hit our goal."John Walkey, Waterfront Climate Justice Advocate — Boston Globe, April 27, 2026
"We have done most of the easy things already. And at this point, to make a real difference, it is about coming up with the new ideas."Mayor Michelle Wu — Climate Action Plan launch, April 27, 2026
⚠️ Translation: The "Easy Things" Were Spending Your Money
The "easy things" Wu references include: mandating building emissions standards (BERDO) that landlords pass to tenants, enrolling 65% of ratepayers in BCCE (supply-only savings), divesting city pension funds from fossil fuels, and implementing net-zero zoning for new construction. None of these addressed the structural cost drivers: Ch. 21N (Global Warming Solutions Act) mandating economy-wide carbon neutrality, §83C guaranteeing foreign wind developers full cost recovery, Ch. 25A, §11F (RPS) forcing 35%+ renewable procurement, or RGGI (Ch. 21N, §§1–9) extracting $200M/yr in carbon auction costs. The "new ideas" — thermal energy networks, congestion pricing, gas system decommissioning — will add costs, not reduce them.
Boston's Emissions by Sector (2023 Inventory)
Source: Boston GHG Inventory 2023; 2030 Climate Action Plan, p.33
What $200/yr in BCCE Savings Looks Like Against the Full Mandate Stack
Source: EIA rates; DPU filings; RGGI Inc.; Eversource/NGrid rate schedules; BCCE program data
The Gaslighting Chain — State + City, Same Party, Same Playbook
HEALEY (AG)
Blocked 2 gas pipelines. Constrained supply.
→
HEALEY (GOV)
Signed Climate Act. Ch. 179, 2022.
→
LEGISLATURE (D)
H.5151: 10 GW wind, 10 GW solar mandates.
WU (MAYOR)
BERDO mandate. Gas decommission.
→
RATES HIT 29.45¢
—. +56% above national avg.
→
SAME PEOPLE: "WE'LL FIX IT"
BCCE saves $200/yr on a $765/yr problem.
They created the mandate stack (Ch. 21N, §83C, Ch. 25A, RGGI, BERDO). They blocked the pipelines. They drove rates to 29.45¢. Now they offer you $200/yr on a $765/yr problem and call it progress.
Wu's plan adds city-level mandates on top of state mandates — same party, same playbook, same result: you pay.
S.3143 — The Senate's $14.3 Billion Claim, Audited
⚠️ Released June 24, 2026 — Senate floor vote was scheduled for July 1, 2026
Senate claims $14.3B in ratepayer savings over 10 years — while MA rates sit at —, — above national average
The DPU already approved 25–30% Eversource + 11–13% National Grid hikes in late 2024 — none of the $14.3B directly offsets these
The bill's largest single claim — $7.1B securitization — restructures utility debt, it does not eliminate it. Ratepayers still pay every dollar.
S.3143 reduces RPS from 3%/yr to 1%/yr for 2027–29 and calls a mandate rollback a "$213M savings" — they created the cost; they are trimming it and claiming credit
Sen. Barrett, the bill's author, could not say how much a typical ratepayer would save or when they would first see relief on their monthly bill
Mass Save has ballooned from $200M/yr (2008) to $1.5B/yr (2025) — $16B total — bill caps admin at 5% but does not claw back approved budgets
Total Claimed Savings
$14.3B
Over 10 years — all categories
Verified / Documented
$2.1B
Competitive supplier + GSEP reform
Speculative / Accounting
$9.4B
Securitization, investigations, mandate trims
Gap Closed vs US Avg
~—
Realistic ~$150/yr of —/yr overpayment
MA Rate Right Now
—
EIA — — —
Floor Vote Scheduled
Jul 1
2026 — Ways & Means polled out June 24, 2026
The $14.3B Claim — Credibility Breakdown
Source: S.3143 fact sheet (June 24, 2026); @DuncanBurnsMA analysis. Green = documented AGO/DPU data; Amber = plausible, partial; Red = debt restructuring, investigation authorizations, mandate rollbacks.
Savings Claims by Category — $M Over 10 Years
Source: S.3143 Senate fact sheet. Color = credibility tier: green = documented, amber = plausible/partial, red = speculative or accounting fiction.
Annual Per-Household Reality Check
Source: EIA —; S.3143 $14.3B ÷ 2.9M households ÷ 10 yrs = $493/yr claimed; realistic per analysis = ~$150/yr. Even accepting the full claim, MA remains —.
What S.3143 Doesn't Touch — The Structural Cost Drivers
Source: EIA; RGGI Inc.; DPU rate orders; ISO-NE. These policy-driven costs persist regardless of S.3143 passage.
S.3143 Savings Claims — Line-by-Line Audit
| Provision | Senate Claim | Mechanism | Credibility | The Catch |
|---|
| Competitive Supplier Reform | $650M | Rein in predatory suppliers; enhanced AGO enforcement | ✅ Documented | AGO confirmed $738M in overcharges 2015–2024; $81M in 2024 alone. Receipt exists. |
| GSEP Gas Line Reform | $1.46B | Narrow scope + phase out gas pipe program by 2030 | ✅ Documented | GSEP is 8–11% of monthly gas bills. AGO has flagged it for years. Credible and overdue. |
| Geothermal (Hospitals/Colleges) | $130M | Gas utilities own single-customer geothermal systems | ✅ Documented | Specific, targeted, aligns with existing multi-customer authority. Solid provision. |
| Distribution Planning Reform | $1.7B | Merge overlapping DPU planning proceedings | ⚠️ Plausible | Efficiency gain is real but $1.7B assumes maximum redundancy elimination — optimistic. |
| Reconciling Charge Reform | $750M | DPU review of usage-based peak charges | ⚠️ Plausible | Depends entirely on DPU action post-passage. No guaranteed outcome. |
| Seasonal Procurement Reform | $780M | Flexible procurement windows to dampen seasonal spikes | ⚠️ Plausible | Known fix for years. DPU already had authority to do this. Senate taking credit retroactively. |
| DOER Direct Procurement | $160M–$420M | Cut utility intermediary fee on energy contracts | ⚠️ Plausible | Wide range ($160M–$420M). Lower end is realistic; upper requires full program adoption. |
| Renewable Natural Gas | $230M | Utilities transport RNG to large industrial users | ⚠️ Plausible | Depends on RNG supply buildout and industrial uptake. Long-term play with uncertain timeline. |
| Third-Party Grid Investment | $130M | Outside investors fund distribution projects | ⚠️ Plausible | Requires a competitive investor market to develop. Unproven in MA regulatory context. |
| Net Metering Reduction | $75M | Cut credits for large standalone solar/wind facilities | ⚠️ Plausible | Shifts cost from large commercial facilities. Rooftop solar owners unaffected per bill text. |
| Basic Service Markup Investigation | $1B | DPU investigates $3.4B in supplier overcharges (2015–2024) | ❌ Speculative | This is an authorization to investigate, not a guaranteed outcome. Counting an inquiry as a savings projection. |
| Securitization | $7.1B | Utilities refinance grid/storm/gas transition debt at lower rates | ❌ Accounting | Ratepayers still pay every dollar of the debt — just at a lower interest rate. This is relative-to-worst-case math, not bill reduction. |
| RPS "Right-Sizing" | $213M | Drop RPS from 3%/yr to 1%/yr for 2027–2029 | ❌ Mandate Rollback | The legislature created this cost. Reducing a target they set and calling the delta "savings" is circular logic. |
Sources: S.3143 Senate fact sheet (June 24, 2026); AGO Competitive Electric Supply Annual Report (March 2026); EIA; DPU; RGGI Inc.; WBUR; Commonwealth Beacon; WWLP.
📋 What S.3143 Does NOT Address — The Structural Cost Drivers Remain
Pipeline blockade legacy: Rejecting Access Northeast constrained natural gas supply — the primary driver of winter price spikes. S.3143 is silent on this.
DPU-approved rate hikes already in effect: Eversource +25–30%, National Grid +11–13% (late 2024). No provision claws these back or offsets them.
RGGI carbon tax: $1.36B extracted from MA ratepayers since 2008; $200M/yr ongoing and growing. S.3143 does not touch RGGI.
RPS compliance costs: Bill rolls back targets for 3 years but extends the mandate framework. The long-term cost architecture stays fully intact.
Mass Save cost explosion: The 5% admin cap and removal of mandatory performance incentives are genuine reforms — but the $350M in already-approved mid-term budget increases are not clawed back.
Offshore wind collapse: S.3143 acknowledges the federal attack on offshore wind and responds by reducing targets. That is managing decline, not solving the supply gap.
"While he forecast overall savings during a 10-year timeline, Barrett did not describe how much a typical ratepayer could expect to save or when they might first experience noticeable savings in their monthly bills."WWLP News — June 24, 2026
The Honest Version: "We're Trying to Slow the Growth of Bills We Helped Make This Expensive"
Two provisions — competitive supplier reform ($650M) and GSEP gas line reform ($1.46B) — are real, documented, and overdue. The rest is a mix of DPU reform authority they already had, debt restructuring framed as savings, mandate rollbacks they're calling consumer relief, and investigation authorizations counted as projected outcomes. S.3143 is better than H.5151. But the $14.3B headline is not a bill reduction. It's a press release.
Sources: S.3143 Senate fact sheet (June 24, 2026); EIA Electric Power Monthly (); AGO Competitive Electric Supply Annual Report (March 2026); DPU; RGGI Inc.; WBUR; Commonwealth Beacon; Fall River Reporter; WWLP (June 24, 2026).