Utility companies target heat pump incentives for cuts to pare back Mass Save budget

After state officials reduced Mass Save’s proposed budget by $500 million in February, the utility companies that run the energy efficiency program have proposed a new pared down compliance plan with the largest cuts coming to incentives for heat pumps and a program that provides a one-stop shop for residents looking to weatherize and invest in electrification upgrades.

“These cuts represent some of the best options of bad options,” said Kyle Murray, a member of the council and the Massachusetts program director at the Acadia Center, a non-profit research and advocacy organization dedicated to combating climate change.

The Mass Save program – which helps homes and businesses become more energy efficient and reduces greenhouse gas emissions – is funded through a surcharge on electricity and gas bills. After gas bills spiked across the state due to an unusually cold winter and the increase in the Mass Save surcharge, the DPU decreased the budget for the program from the proposed $5 million to $4.5 million. The DPU directed that the cut come from programming for the residential sector.

Environmentalist advocates including Murray called the move “short-sighted,” saying that the cut will result in increased costs for residents in the long run.

To read the full article from Commonwealth Beacon, click here.