Imagine that you’re part of a team charged with crafting the next iteration of one of the largest energy efficiency programs in the country, the budget of which exceeds that of the University of Massachusetts system.

Now add in the fact that the 200 elected officials in the Massachusetts Legislature, could — and very well may — come in at any point between now and January 5, 2027, and blow it all up.

That’s what’s currently playing out.

Mass Save is a program that provides low or no-cost energy efficiency upgrades to homes and businesses around the state with the goal of reducing energy usage and, therefore, monthly bills. To do that, electric and gas customers pay a surcharge to fund the program, which offers home energy assessments, improved insulation, smart thermostats and, increasingly, electric heat pumps to warm and cool buildings.

But a political backlash to Mass Save, amid a rising tide of angst over soaring utility bills, has taken root — and spread to influential members on Beacon Hill. After the House advanced a plan to slash next year’s Mass Save budget by $1 billion and the Senate rejected that proposal, lawmakers are now negotiating whether the program’s budget should be cut, capped, or left to program officials to figure out as it works through a sprawling energy bill that aims to lower prices for ratepayers.

Meanwhile, as that contentious legislative debate lingers, there’s something else happening under the radar: Planning for the next three-year Mass Save cycle is already well underway.

Utilities that administer the program are preparing to submit by the end of March a draft plan that will chart the course for what Mass Save will seek to accomplish between 2028 and 2030.

There’s just one problem. It’s entirely unclear whether and how the Legislature will wade into Mass Save’s budget through the energy bill, threatening to upend all the planning, modeling, stakeholder discussions, and consultant reports that have already been completed to shape the future of the program, which is overseen by the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council.

“This is one great big exercise in holding your breath,” said Steven Miller, founder of LabReNew, a company that helps research and scientific labs reduce their carbon footprint, and a member of the EEAC.

More Context

• Senate energy chair signals departure from House on $1B cut to Mass Save (April 2026)
• House passes landmark energy bill with deep cuts to Mass Save, sending it to Senate (February 2026)