Governor Healy and Citizens Energy announce expanded shelter heating assistance, urge transmission financing bill

At an event at House of Hope in Lowell, Gov. Healy joined Citizens Energy and local leaders to highlight an expansion of the Citizens Energy Shelter Winter Assistance Program and to announce a grant to the shelter, while urging passage of state legislation intended to lower energy costs for households.

Joe Kennedy of Citizens Energy laid out the nonprofit's model for directing project revenue back to communities, saying, "For over 45 years, Citizens Energy has been focused on making life's basic needs more affordable." He said the organization has "donated over $600,000,000 back to families and the communities we serve," noted programs in other states that yielded nearly $25,000,000 in local investments and said CSWAP currently supports "over a 120 facilities across Massachusetts and Rhode Island." Kennedy announced that Citizens Energy would provide "another $4,000 of grant support" to House of Hope this year to help cover heating costs.

"Energy innovation and affordability must go hand in hand," Kennedy said, describing the charity's combination of project financing and direct assistance to shelters and food pantries.

Gov. Healy praised the partnership and used the event to press an energy agenda. He said the administration has offered rebates intended to reduce bills ("25% off their electric bill, 10% off their gas bill") and told the audience he has filed legislation he says would "bring in a bunch more energy into the region at a cheaper price" and remove "unnecessary charges" from bills. "We think it's gonna save ratepayers about $13,000,000,000," Healy said, and added, "I oppose any rate hikes." He reiterated that the bill would require utilities to purchase energy at the lowest cost and pass savings on to customers.

Rebecca Tepper, secretary of energy and environmental affairs, described the proposed legislation as enabling partnerships on transmission and distribution financing that would allow investment dollars to be redirected to customers. "We're really looking forward to having the legislature pass that legislation," she said.

Julie Lemire, executive director of House of Hope, thanked Citizens Energy for past support and said the shelter building known as Fletcher serves as the organization's largest shelter, "serving up to 31 families at a time." She said support that keeps buildings heated allows staff to focus on wraparound services that help clients move toward stability and independence.

Officials gave residents practical advice: Healy encouraged people to contact utilities about low-income discounts, saying an outreach call helped one household discover they were eligible for a discount.

No formal vote or legislative action occurred at the event. Organizers framed the announcements as an immediate charitable grant and as part of a broader push by the administration and Citizens Energy to advance financing tools and program models intended to lower energy costs for ratepayers. The legislature would need to consider the governor's filed bill for any statutory changes or mandatory utility requirements to take effect.