Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has declared an energy emergency and ordered that fees paid by electricity suppliers for missing clean energy targets be used to help households pay heating bills this winter. The executive order directs state agencies to identify alternative compliance payments that can supplement federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funding, and to create a one-time benefit for middle-income households that rely on heating oil but do not qualify for HEAP.
Home heating oil averaged $6.12 per gallon in Massachusetts last week, nearly 75% higher than a year earlier, according to state data. The order also temporarily cuts by half the ratepayer obligation for the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard, saving about $20 million, and suspends the distributed solar charge that funds the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target program. State agencies are also reviewing net-metering compensation, with an eye to controlling costs while preserving solar growth.
Green Energy Consumers Alliance executive director Larry Chretien said the group agrees that high oil prices require extra state help, but would prefer funding from the general fund rather than reallocating alternative compliance payments, which are meant for clean energy projects. He noted the governor's team has previously invested those funds in battery storage, microgrids, and building efficiency, and urged prioritizing heat pump conversions. National Grid said it supports the governor's approach to affordability and reliability.