Following an order this afternoon from the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities' directing a reduction in the proposed Massachusetts 2025-2027 Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization Plan, Eversource issued the following statement from Penni Conner, Executive Vice President of Customer Experience and Energy Strategy:
"We commend the Department of Public Utilities for listening to customer concerns about affordability and taking the difficult action today (Feb 28, 2025) to order a reduction in the proposed 2025-2027 Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization Plan. This is the most immediate step the state can take to provide long-term rate relief to customers and ensure that the pace of the energy transition in Massachusetts is affordable and attainable. To be clear, we are steadfastly committed to the Mass Save® programs, which are essential to meeting the commonwealth's decarbonization goals and provide significant benefits to customers and the state as a whole, but this winter's higher-than-normal natural gas bills make a revision to this plan imperative at this time.
"This is how the collaborative process is intended to work - a wide variety of diverse stakeholders come together to develop a plan aimed at achieving Massachusetts' ambitious clean energy targets, and that plan then receives a thorough regulatory review to ensure all aspects of the program respond to customer needs and strike a balance between meeting statewide climate goals, establishing program affordability, providing robust access for customers, and enhancing reliability. We appreciate the invaluable collaboration of the wide variety of diverse stakeholders on the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council who unanimously supported the proposed plan, as well as the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, the Attorney General's Office, and countless other community, business, and labor stakeholders who provided their input through this process - and we look forward to our continued work together to deliver the nation-leading energy efficiency programs that reflect our broad support of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and advance electrification while also driving down energy usage for customers.
"At the same time, this winter's bills have posed serious challenges and concerns for our customers that reinforce the critical need to maintain affordability and reliability as top priorities in our collective pursuit of the commonwealth's energy transition. We will be closely reviewing this order with those priorities top-of-mind as we work collaboratively to develop a revised plan that best serves all customers and communities. Massachusetts has been #1 in the nation for energy efficiency under previous plans that had lower budgets for these programs, and we're confident that we can keep the commonwealth at the national forefront of energy efficiency and decarbonization with a revised plan. Moving forward, we're as committed as ever to the collaboration and hard work that will be required to provide impactful, long-term rate relief to customers while also advancing a clean energy future that addresses climate change. Energy efficiency is just one of many important pieces on that broader path to decarbonization, and collective buy-in is essential for the various solutions that will be needed to achieve our shared goals, including addressing the region's energy supply challenges."
Along with a 10-percent reduction to the total bill through the local distribution adjustment charge that Eversource proposed earlier this week, customers will begin seeing lower rates effective March 1. Total estimated bill impacts through the off-peak months for customers as a result of these adjustments are not yet available and will be provided in upcoming regulatory filings.
Eversource encourages customers to take advantage of the many options available to help them manage their energy bills with financial assistance, flexible payment plans, and energy efficiency programs. The company has been hosting in-person assistance events in several Massachusetts communities and will continue to do so over the next several weeks, where customer care representatives will provide details on programs to help make monthly payments more affordable, protection from service disconnection, and energy efficiency solutions that can lower bills by reducing energy usage. A full list of upcoming events is posted online.
Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, is recognized as the #1 U.S. utility on TIME's List of World's Best Companies for 2024. Eversource transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to 1.8 million customers throughout Massachusetts, including approximately 1.47 million electric customers in 140 communities, 639,000 gas customers in 117 communities, and 11,500 water customers in five communities. Eversource harnesses the commitment of more than 10,000 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The #1 energy efficiency provider in the nation, the company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like a first-in-the-nation networked geothermal pilot project, solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com.
CONTACT:
William Hinkle
603-634-2228
william.hinkle@eversource.com
