LETTER: Exporting The Infrastructure, Importing The Bill — The High Price Of Massachusetts’ Energy Mirage

Dear Editor,

Massachusetts is currently chasing a “clean energy” future that relies more on high-priced imports than true local sustainability. While the state mandates a transition to total electrification—pushing electric cars and heat pumps through laws like the MBTA Communities Act, which triggers high-density residential zones subject to the state’s rigorous Stretch Energy Code—the reality of how we power them is a study in selective logic.

As of February 2026, Bay State residents are paying a staggering 34 ¢/kWh for electricity—roughly 80% higher than the national average. This is a direct “tax” on the green image the state is trying to project.

Years ago, the administration moved to block critical natural gas pipelines, claiming they were unnecessary. Today, that decision haunts our utility bills. Because solar and wind are intermittent, the state lacks a reliable local “baseload.” Without those pipelines, we are forced to pay massive premiums to ship gas from Pennsylvania or revert to oil-fired generators during winter freezes just to keep the grid from collapsing.

The contradiction extends to our “clean” sources. Massachusetts celebrates carbon-free goals but refuses to host the source; since the closure of the Pilgrim nuclear plant, we have no in-state nuclear generation, choosing instead to pay premiums for power from neighbors. Meanwhile, our “savior” project—hydro-power from Quebec—faces reliability concerns when Canadian demand surges.

By relying on out-of-state energy sources and maintaining a rigid system of local utility monopolies, we haven’t actually created a free or clean market. We’ve simply exported our infrastructure while importing a massive bill. While the state talks about “choice,” most residents remain tethered to a few dominant utility giants that face little local competition. The state’s leadership treats this as a 40-to-60-year transition, yet they are demanding that today’s taxpayers pay “Year 60” prices for a “Year 1” infrastructure. True energy independence requires consistent local generation and a market that actually allows for competition, not just a “Law for Thee” approach that ignores where the electrons—and the profits—are actually going.

George Ferdinand