BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey intends to file legislation to crack down on steep energy bills that are straining Bay Staters’ wallets.
Healey previewed her pending “energy affordability and independence” bill in front of 700 business leaders Wednesday morning. That proposal will be accompanied by the administration’s “energy affordability agenda,” the governor said.
“This legislation, and these steps, will bring down costs for families and businesses,” Healey said during a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce forum at the Westin Copley Place without offering additional details.
“They will jump-start homegrown, clean energy generation. And they will protect against future price spikes. We plan to do both these things in the coming weeks. So we will be reaching out to you for your input and – we hope – your engagement and support.”
The Department of Public Utilities last week directed utility companies to cut energy bills by 5% for March and April, a reduction that some lawmakers and critics decried as inadequate. A 5% reduction on a monthly bill of $300 would represent savings of $15.
While utilities offered to “spread the pain out over the course of the year,” Healey lamented that the approach is “not good enough.”
“Massachusetts will be stronger, and more affordable, when we can rely on ourselves for energy,” Healey said at the forum. “We won’t be tied to costly, volatile fuels that spike every winter and ship our dollars out of state.”