SPECIAL REPORT – SPRING 2026

Cost vs. Climate

Affordability concerns are scrambling the politics of Massachusetts’s response to climate change

In an election year marked by high energy bills and federal budget cuts, Massachusetts is grappling with whether it can stick to its carbon emissions reduction goals

LEAD STORY

Ratepayer revolt: Has the affordability debate soured Mass. on climate commitments?

Ratepayer revolt: Has the affordability debate soured Mass. on climate commitments?

Fighting climate change was once a badge of honor in Massachusetts, embraced by virtually all Democrats and even a lot of Republicans. But as households grapple with soaring energy bills, elected officials have become much more squeamish about the topic …

PODCAST

How energy affordability in Massachusetts reached crisis mode

Host: Jordan Wolman

Guest: Kyle Murray, director of state program implementation in Massachusetts for the environmental nonprofit Acadia Center; Dan Dolan, president of the New England Power Generators Association

LEAD STORY

Ratepayer revolt: Has the affordability debate soured Mass. on climate commitments?

Ratepayer revolt: Has the affordability debate soured Mass. on climate commitments?

Fighting climate change was once a badge of honor in Massachusetts, embraced by virtually all Democrats and even a lot …

PODCAST

How energy affordability in Massachusetts reached crisis mode

Host: Jordan Wolman

Guest: Kyle Murray, director of state program implementation in Massachusetts for the environmental nonprofit Acadia Center; Dan Dolan, president of the New England Power Generators Association

“The state rules have to catch up with the reality of climate change. A town road can’t be abandoned if someone’s living on it, but what happens when the road goes into the ocean?”

Matthew Fee
Nantucket Select Board Member

$90M

In federal resilience funding at risk for Massachusetts

State Budget Office

3.2°F

Average temperature increase in New England since 1970

EPA Climate Indicators

47%

Increase in extreme precipitation events in the Northeast

National Climate Assessment

14in

Sea level rise projected for Boston Harbor by 2050

Climate Ready Boston

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STORY TIMELINE

Follow our month-long investigation into the forces shaping climate policy and its impact across the Commonwealth.

Healey’s shift toward nuclear energy raises affordability, feasibility questions

Healey’s shift toward nuclear energy raises affordability, feasibility questions

The argument for nuclear is, in some ways, simple. It doesn’t generate greenhouse gas emissions and reliably produces power. But it’s no slam dunk either. Building new nuclear facilities is notoriously expensive …
Shifting politics around data centers scramble Healey AI push

Shifting politics around data centers scramble Healey AI push

A backlash to data centers is scrambling whether and how the AI industry takes hold in Massachusetts, how it plays …

INTERACTIVE

Extreme Weather Events in Massachusetts

Number of federally declared weather-related disasters by 5-year period

Source: FEMA Disaster Declarations Summary | 2025 data projected

OPINION

Why Massachusetts needs a climate bank

Why Massachusetts needs a climate bank

It is a fiscally responsible path to achieve three critical goals: address affordability challenges, strengthen the economy, and remain a …

This month, we’re bringing together the voices of environmental advocates, business leaders, energy experts, and municipal leadership from across Massachusetts to explore how the state charts a path forward.

SJC upholds Walsh’s spot on ballot; Manning Martin case still pending

On Monday, SJC Justice Frank Gaziano denied the State Ballot Law Commission’s appeal of an Essex County Superior Court ruling …

Why gas companies are spending big in ‘fossil fuel free’ communities

Starting in 2024, a group of 10 Massachusetts communities kickstarted a first-of-a-kind experiment by pledging to go fossil fuel free. But moving off gas …