HAMILTON, Mass. — Massachusetts families pay the second-highest electric bills in the country. Data centers consume enormous amounts of power and put even more demand on our electric grid that already requires a massive infrastructure overhaul to meet the needs of the Commonwealth.
Massachusetts families need lower electric bills.
That means:
- No expanded data centers in Massachusetts at this time. The Commonwealth should not invite data centers to increase demand on our grid, driving up costs for existing ratepayers. Existing data centers need to provide energy support to the community and water purification in their operations.
- Mike Minogue’s priority will be to lease or sell state land, not conservation land, to developers, builders, and companies, with a focus on affordable housing and manufacturing and investment in high tech, life sciences, defense, energy, and space development. With robotics, automation, and AI, Massachusetts can once again become a leader in manufacturing worldwide.
- Bring in natural gas pipelines. Massachusetts needs reliable, affordable energy suppliers, and expanding our natural gas pipeline capacity can help ensure we have adequate supply and lower energy costs.
- Eliminate unnecessary mandated climate utility fees accounting for one-third of the monthly bill. Families should not be forced to pay unfunded, unachievable Net Zero mandates that add fees and programs to their monthly utility bills. If we want to make electricity more affordable, we need to take costs off the bill.
- Eliminate the state’s Net Zero mandate. Energy policy should be driven by affordability, reliability, and common sense. Massachusetts should repeal costly Net Zero requirements that add additional taxes and costs to household budgets.
Massachusetts families should not be forced to choose between heating their homes this winter or paying other basic household expenses because of political energy policies that have made electricity unaffordable.
Massachusetts should not be building out its electric system to accommodate massive corporate data centers while residents are struggling with their monthly utility bills.
The priority is simple: lower electric bills for Massachusetts families now.