Governor Healy announces executive order to pursue 10 gigawatts of new energy and 5 gigawatts of storage

Governor Healy announced an executive order at Lynch Elementary School in Winchester directing state agencies to pursue 10 gigawatts of new energy resources and 5 gigawatts of energy storage, saying the move is aimed at lowering household and business energy costs and speeding project buildout.

"I'm setting Massachusetts on a course to get 10 new gigawatts of energy into our state as soon as possible," Governor Healy said, adding that the target equates to powering "2,000,000 homes" and that the administration expects the effort to produce about "$10,000,000,000" in savings if the goals are reached. She said her administration would direct all agencies to take the actions necessary and described an "all-of-the-above" strategy that includes solar, wind, nuclear, geothermal, gas and battery storage.

Rebecca Tepper, secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, said the order sets clear 10-year targets and emphasizes permitting reforms and regional cooperation to move projects forward more quickly. "This executive order is a directive to all of us to build upon and speed up this work," Tepper said, outlining a mix of homegrown solar, regional procurement, load management strategies and a call for an additional 5 gigawatts of storage.

Dan Berwick, CEO of New Leaf Energy, said the administration's targets send the market signals companies need to commit capital and hire workers. "For a company like New Leaf Energy, the policies outlined in this EO aren't just goals. They're the critical, clear, long-term signals that we look for that drive our investment decisions," he said, adding that the company plans to scale up local megawatt-scale projects in response.

Business groups also voiced support. Brooke Thompson, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, said high energy costs are a competitive drag and backed a portfolio approach that includes demand-side management and a range of generation sources. "That $10,000,000,000 represents a significant potential benefit for companies struggling to manage surging bills," Thompson said.

Labor leaders attending the event framed the order in terms of jobs. Chrissy Lynch, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, said unions and the building trades are prepared to construct and maintain the necessary infrastructure and pointed to Vineyard Wind as a recent project that supported union employment. "Massachusetts needs more reliable energy and we need need more family sustaining union jobs," Lynch said.

Local officials highlighted the event site as an example: Winchester Town Administrator Chris Senior described Lynch Elementary as the town's first net-zero building, powered by on-site solar that also supplies a parking-canopy array and EV charging stations. Senior said state programs and partnerships helped make the project possible.

Healy tied the initiative to short-term affordability measures already under way — she said the administration cut winter bills by about $180,000,000 and cited recent imports of hydro power and the completion of Vineyard Wind as examples of supply expansions. She also urged the Legislature to pass a separate energy affordability bill she filed, which she said would further reduce costs by removing unnecessary charges and encouraging utilities to purchase lower-cost power.

The governor framed the order as a response both to local affordability pressures and to international developments that have affected fuel prices. She repeatedly attributed rising costs to federal policy and global events, noting oil above $100 a barrel and higher gasoline and heating-oil prices in recent weeks, and said those dynamics add urgency to state action.

Healy said she planned to sign the executive order at the event and invited on-topic questions from attendees. The administration did not provide in the remarks a specific implementation timeline beyond the 10-year target, nor a detailed breakdown of funding sources to pay for new projects.

What happens next: the order directs all state agencies to develop and pursue the actions enumerated in the document; the governor also urged the Legislature to act on the separate energy affordability bill to deliver additional, near-term bill reductions.