Utility bills drive Beacon Hill climate politics and four more stories

                                                                                      

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The Saturday Send

Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from CommonWealth Beacon that you may have missed. This week, Chris Lisinski does a deep dive into how the rising cost of energy could temper the state's climate goals. Environmental leaders want Governor Maura Healey and the legislature to double down on its commitment to reducing emissions, but politicians' laser focus on affordability may mean easing up on climate action. Plus, two veteran democrats join forces in trying to block a ballot question that would implement all-party primaries, Governor Maura Healey unveils her nuclear roadmap, rent control opponents release a report that warns of collapsing property tax revenues if a cap is passed, and concerns about outmigration from the Bay State get aired in state budget hearings. Check out those stories below, and, as always, thanks for reading. — The CommonWealth Beacon team

Ratepayer revolt: Has the affordability debate soured Mass. on climate commitments? By Chris Lisinski Fighting climate change was once a badge of honor in Massachusetts, embraced by virtually all Democrats and even a lot of Republicans. But as households grapple with soaring energy bills, elected officials have become much more squeamish about the topic. READ MORE

Two veteran Democrats sue to block all-party primary ballot question By Chris Lisinski A pair of Democratic state committee members want the state’s highest court to toss a ballot question that would shift state elections to an all-party primary system, teeing up a legal fight over a measure that could fundamentally reshape political power in Massachusetts. READ MORE

Healey’s shift toward nuclear energy raises affordability, feasibility questions By Jordan Wolman The argument for nuclear is, in some ways, simple. It doesn’t generate greenhouse gas emissions and reliably produces power. But it’s no slam dunk either. Building new nuclear facilities is notoriously expensive and time-consuming. READ MORE

Rent control opponents warn of $300 billion impact to local budgets By Chris Lisinski The real estate industry has a new line of attack in its campaign against rent control: the impact on property values, which could crumble and trigger difficult local decisions about cutting services or hiking taxes, according to a new report. READ MORE

Competitiveness fears weave through budget hearings By Jennifer Smith “There is almost perfect correlation between expensive states and outmigration, and we are a very expensive state,” testified Eric Paley, Gov. Maura Healey’s secretary of economic development, at a budget hearing in in Barnstable. READ MORE

Job Board ⭐️ City Auditor, City of Holyoke ⭐️ Chief Administrative and Financial Officer, City of Holyoke ⭐️ Director of Decarbonization and Energy Transition, Boston Green Ribbon Commission ⭐ Director of Program and Network Engagement, Mass Mentoring Partnership ⭐ Treasury Manager, Massachusetts Housing Partnership ⭐ Program Director, Massachusetts Housing Partnership ⭐ Chief Financial & Operating Officer, Massachusetts Housing Partnership ⭐ Economic Development Director, City of Haverhill ⭐ Development Director, Neighbor to Neighbor Chief Executive Officer, Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association Vice President for Massachusetts, Conservation Law Foundation Senior Research Associate, MassINC Summer 2026 Policy Interns, MassINC Greg Torres Senior Fellows, MassINC Major Gifts Senior Advisor, Boston Public Art Triennial ADVERTISE YOUR JOB LISTING

WHY IS NO ONE PUSHING "REDUICE YOUR CONSUMPTION" ?  IT CAN BE DONE! EXPERTS SAY THAT YOU CAN REDUCE YOUR ENERGY CONSUMPTION FOR FREE OR INEXPENSIVELY BY ~ 30%! THERE ARE A LOT OF CREATIVE IDEAS OTHERS HAVE FOUND.... ONE ONLY NEEDS TO DRIVE THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS AFTER SNOW TO SEE HOW MANY ROOFS LACK INSULATION - SIMPLE SOLUTION!  LEDs ARE NOW MANDATED IN BUILDING CODES AND MUCH ELSE. How energy affordability in Massachusetts reached crisis mode This week on The Codcast, we unpack how increasingly expensive utility bills are shaping the energy debate in Massachusetts and reaching a fever pitch on Beacon Hill. With energy costs now the top household concern in the Bay State, how should policymakers respond to the affordability crisis as power demand is expected to rise and with the due date on ambitious climate commitments creeping closer? Our guests, Kyle Murray, director of state program implementation in Massachusetts at the environmental nonprofit Acadia Center, and Dan Dolan, president of the New England Power Generators Association, hash it all out. excerpt:  Lawmakers, meanwhile, are weighing a legislative package that aims to grow energy supply but also includes a contentious $1 billion cut to the state’s energy efficiency program known as Mass Save. Those tensions are likely to continue to ripple as Massachusetts churns through delays in the clean energy transition, caused in part by President Trump’s attempts to stymie new offshore wind projects, and costly improvements needed to fix the state’s aging electric and gas infrastructure. LISTEN NOW

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