Hear from the experts: The Value of Mass Save Hearing and what's next. 



Clean energy experts, policy experts, contractors and affordable housing developers gathered for a virtual hearing on the value of Mass Save with the Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming.  This post provides quotes, context, and information to educate on the value of Mass Save.



Some Background Information: 

 

The Massachusetts Coalition for Affordable Energy (MCAE) is a coalition of organizations working to protect Mass Save and Alternative Compliance Payment (ACP) funded programs that strengthen Massachusetts clean energy economy and expand access to resources to low income communities. Prior to the hearing on May 27, 2026 on the Value of Mass Save, MCAE sent letters to state lawmakers urging them to deny the proposed budget cuts and prioritize Massachusetts residents.  

 

The letters, signed by various clean energy experts, contractors, and housing justice advocates, emphasize the critical role Mass Save plays in lowering energy costs for Massachusetts residents. Mass Save directly and indirectly supports more than 76,000 green-collar jobs and helps deliver and preserve over 40,000 affordable housing units across the Commonwealth.

 

Mass Save has delivered approximately $16.1 billion in energy savings between 2016 and 2024, returning $2.91 in benefits for every $1 invested. Cutting Mass Save would increase long-term utility costs by forcing the state to invest in more expensive energy infrastructure while weakening programs that help households reduce energy waste and lower monthly bills. 



During the Hearing:

 

During the hearing we heard from advocates who utilize Mass Save everyday. Mary Wambui, Director of Asset Management, Resident Affairs and Energy, Planning Office for Urban Affairs, explained how Mass Save shrinks disparities amongst residents across the commonwealth. “Equity in the Mass Save program actually has regulatory teeth. It's not just, ‘oh, you just go and do equity.’ No, we have a mechanism through the DPU that forces utilities to actually make these communities that were left behind whole.” Mary has exemplified the relationship between Mass Save and Distributive justice previously, highlighting how essential Mass Save is for low income households. During the hearing Mary also explained how cutting Mass Save and derailing energy efficiency is detrimental to “getting at the heart of inequities through this new structure at mass save which is the vehicle for energy affordability for many in the commonwealth.” 

 

In addition to Mary’s insights, we also heard from John Nunnari, Executive Director of the American Institute of Architects Massachusetts. Furthering emphasis on the distributive justice side of this conversation, we got to understand the connectedness of the commonwealth’s climate goals as it relates to housing justice, energy affordability, and infrastructure challenges. “This is not simply an energy policy discussion. It's also a housing discussion, an economic competitiveness discussion, and a workforce development discussion. Architects and design professionals across Massachusetts have increasingly invested in specialized expertise related to electrification, Passive House standards, decarbonization, and high-performance building systems. Mass Save has played a crucial role in helping translate those technical capabilities into real-world projects that communities can actually afford to build.”  The Value of Mass Save is irreplaceable. These programs change and save lives across the economic spectrum. 



So what’s next?: 

 

Advocates underlined the importance of Mass Save and why its protection is detrimental to the past, present and future of the commonwealth. In the words of Kyle Murray, Director of State Program Implementation at the Acadia Center: “Without energy efficiency programs in place, the Commonwealth’s electric demand would be around 27.7% higher than it is today, resulting in billions of dollars in additional costs for energy supply and infrastructure.” Mass Save investments between 2016 and 2024 saved ratepayers $16.1 billion dollars in electric, gas, delivered fuel supply, and infrastructure alone. This program is vital to not only the commonwealth as an entity, but as a support system for the residents who make it worth fighting for. As we await for our legislators to do the right thing and save Mass Save, we will continue to push for the people of Massachusetts to be their priority, not big utility companies. 

 

As the State Senate considers the House's proposal to cut $1 billion from Mass Save and further funds from the ACP programs, we urge them to consider the Value of Mass Save.

 

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