High energy bills are weighing on households in Massachusetts, but a new survey shows voters are not chiefly blaming the governor.
Instead, broad swaths of respondents blamed President Donald Trump and state utility companies for the affordability crunch hurting families and budgets statewide, CommonWealth Beacon reported.
Here’s what to know
A CommonWealth Beacon-MassINC Polling Group survey found that 32% of likely voters said Trump is most responsible for high energy costs, while 28% blamed gas and electric utilities.
Just 13% of the 800 people polled pointed their ire at Gov. Maura Healey.
Bay State residents pay about double the national average for electricity, and energy affordability has become a major concern for households statewide.
Dan Dolan, president of the New England Power Generators Association, told the outlet that federal actions have deeply compounded the region’s energy challenges.
“Massachusetts and New England have been uniquely impacted by the fact that this president, who holds himself out as [for] energy dominance and energy abundance, has pointedly gone after some of the energy sources that this region is trying to expand, and so that dissonance, coupled with the run-up in global energy prices, points the focus on the president,” he said.
More background
That low level of blame for Healey is notable because energy prices have dogged her first term and could create political problems.
Evan Horowitz, executive director at Tufts’ Center for State Policy Analysis, speculated that utilities may be absorbing so much anger because people view the issue as a sign of “greedy corporations,” even though state officials largely oversee their profits and spending, CommonWealth Beacon reported.
The survey also found that only 9% of respondents blamed clean energy programs for high costs, though that figure was 16% among Republican voters.
Those findings come as debate continues over Mass Save, the state’s energy efficiency program paid for through charges on customer bills.
House Democrats advanced a proposal to cut $1 billion from Mass Save in an effort to lower costs, but the Senate rejected it.
What’s being done?
To lower costs for consumers, Healey has taken several steps.
She worked with utilities to delay some charges and, as CommonWealth Beacon reported, urged the Department of Public Utilities to launch a sweeping review of customer bills while pressing lawmakers to reach agreement on a major legislative package.
Healey also proposed a two-month suspension of the state’s 24-cents-per-gallon gas tax.
Barbara Kates-Garnick — who served as the state’s energy undersecretary under Gov. Deval Patrick and now teaches at Tufts’ Fletcher School — suggested there was sufficient blame to go around.
“There’s no one villain here,” she said, per CommonWealth Beacon.
Where can I learn more?
For a broader look at what’s driving energy costs, these stories examine utility spending, federal decisions, and state policy fights, covering electricity price spikes and political clashes over who should pay.
• In several U.S. states, electricity price increases are poised to hit households especially hard.
• In Nevada, the Trump administration’s decision to block a major project may drive power costs higher.
• In Pennsylvania, Gov. Shapiro says residents should not be forced to pay rising grid costs.
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