Executive Order  No. 659: Proclaiming an Energy Emergency and Providing Immediate Home Energy Assistance and Relief on Energy Bills During the Winter Months

WHEREAS, as fall begins, Massachusetts families and businesses are preparing for another winter heating season while facing rising costs for housing, food, education, transportation, and other necessities; 

WHEREAS, the war with Iran has severely disrupted global energy markets and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for oil and petroleum, contributing to higher and more volatile crude oil and refined petroleum product prices, and creating an energy crisis in the United States;

WHEREAS, the war with Iran has, according to the International Energy Agency, caused the “greatest threat to global energy security in history”;

WHEREAS, due to these actions and circumstances, Massachusetts families are entering the winter heating season with heating oil averaging over $6.00 per gallon, nearly seventy-five percent higher than last year, with considerable market uncertainty expected in the months ahead;

WHEREAS, approximately one in five Massachusetts households relies on heating oil, with many of these households located in older homes and rural communities without access to natural gas distribution; 

WHEREAS, the Massachusetts home energy assistance program (“HEAP”) is a federally formula-funded resource to help households earning less than sixty percent of the state median income to pay a portion of their winter heating bills;

WHEREAS, HEAP benefited approximately 150,000 households last year, the majority of which were seniors living on fixed incomes, and more than ten percent of which included children under age six;

WHEREAS, the near doubling of the cost of heating oil without a corresponding doubling of the federal HEAP benefit puts vulnerable populations more at risk of losing access to heat mid-winter;

WHEREAS, affordable access to home heating indisputably affects the public health and wellbeing of the people of the Commonwealth;

WHEREAS, high retail heating prices caused by the war with Iran may jeopardize access to heat this winter, to the detriment of the public health and wellbeing of the people of Massachusetts and the overall energy system; 

WHEREAS, Massachusetts residents deserve a reliable and safe energy system, fair prices, and immediate relief this winter;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Maura T. Healey, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution, Part 2, c. 2, § I, Art. I, do hereby proclaim that an energy emergency exists in the Commonwealth and order as follows:

1. Home Energy Assistance to Middle-Income Residents

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (“HLC”) shall create a one-time emergency benefit to provide home energy assistance for middle-income households, to be defined as households earning between sixty and one hundred percent of state median income, and relying upon oil for home heating, for this winter season.

The Department of Energy Resources (“DOER”) and the Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) shall identify alternative compliance payment (“ACP”) funds to contribute to this effort.

With the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (“EEA”), HLC shall coordinate additional private and charitable resources available to help provide home heating assistance to middle-income residents of the Commonwealth.

2. Additional Funding for the Home Energy Assistance Program 

DOER and DEP shall identify ACP funds to augment federal funding for the Home Energy Assistance Program (“HEAP”) this winter season. 

HLC and EEA shall coordinate additional private and charitable resources available to help provide additional resources to support home heating for HEAP-eligible residents.

3. Elimination of SMART Program Charges

DOER shall provide funds to electric distribution companies to eliminate the “distributed solar charge” line-item associated with the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (“SMART”) program on electric bills for at least three months of this winter heating season. DOER and DEP shall identify additional ACP funds to support the winter elimination of the line-item.

4. Reduction of Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard Costs 

DOER shall immediately begin regulatory and administrative actions to substantially reduce ratepayer costs associated with the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (“APS”).  DOER shall reduce ratepayer costs attributable to the APS requirements by fifty percent this winter.

5. Review of Net Metering to Reduce Costs

The Department of Public Utilities (“DPU”), in coordination with EEA and DOER, shall convene stakeholders to review statewide net-metering compensation, program costs, cost growth, and the appropriate structure and level of compensation.  The review shall examine reforms adopted in other jurisdictions and identify reforms that could control costs while continuing to support solar deployment in Massachusetts.

Nothing in this Executive Order shall negate the directive in Executive Order 654 to double the amount of solar on the system by 2035.  Massachusetts can both continue to grow solar and ensure ratepayers are not paying more than is necessary to realize the benefits of that growth.

6. Review of the Massachusetts Carbon Program to Reduce Costs

DEP, in coordination with EEA, shall review the carbon requirements (310 CMR 7.74) applicable to in-state power generators.  The review shall consider greater compliance flexibility, allowance availability, and cost-containment mechanisms to reduce overall program costs.

7. Opportunities for Additional Relief

All executive department offices and agencies shall work to identify additional opportunities to provide home heating and other energy relief for Massachusetts residents for this winter season.  In particular, and among other efforts, DOER shall:

1. Monitor regional, national and international conditions for potential pricing, supply or delivery issues as we move through winter 2026-27;
2. Survey and publish pricing from heating oil and propane dealers through the winter heating season, and post the average retail price to support transparency for Massachusetts customers; and
3. Coordinate with other states, federal agencies and industry stakeholders to monitor and report on potential heating fuel supply availability or delivery logistics issues.

8. Price gouging

All relevant executive department offices and agencies shall, as appropriate, receive complaints about, investigate, and enforce rules against price gouging and excessive or misleading pricing on petroleum products.

9. Other Provisions

Nothing in this Executive Order shall be construed to require action inconsistent with any applicable state or federal law.

This Executive Order shall remain in effect until April 30, 2027, unless otherwise amended, superseded, or revoked by subsequent Executive Order.