Healey orders 10 gigawatts of new energy resources by 2035 in 'all-of-the-above' approach

Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald on Mar 16, 2026

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As gas and heating prices spike amid the war with Iran, Gov. Maura Healey announced Massachusetts will be aiming to establish 10 new gigawatts of energy resources over the next 10 years creating an estimated $10 billion in savings.

“We need to get even more energy into Massachusetts,” Healey stated in Winchester on Monday. “That’s why today, I’ll be signing an executive order that does just that. I’m setting Massachusetts on a course to get 10 new gigawatts of energy into our state as soon as possible. That’s enough to power two million homes. Remember, we’ve got seven million residents in Massachusetts, so two million homes, 10 gigawatts, that’s a big deal.”

The governor’s executive order sets a target of securing 10 gigawatts of energy resources for Massachusetts and five gigawatts of energy storage by 2035. The order establishes “directives for state agencies related to solar, storage, wind, load management, gas, nuclear, and geothermal,” state officials said.

The news comes as both gas and heating oil prices have surged across Massachusetts and the U.S. following attacks on Iran weeks ago. The state’s average gas price reached about $3.56 a gallon on Monday, according to AAA, up over 20% in a month. Home heating oil has reached an average over $5 a gallon, Healey said.

As Americans “pay the price” for the war, Healey said, the state will combat the rising prices with an “all-of-the-above” approach to energy, including solar, wind, gas, nuclear and hydro sources.

The orders includes a target of four gigawatts of new in-state solar and 3.5 gigawatts of new electric demand reduction “to be achieved through load management strategies such as energy efficiency, virtual power plants, and electric vehicle charging management,” the state said.

“Iranians are blocking the Strait of Hormuz, which is critical to the world’s energy supply, and it’s a problem,” Healey said. “But I know one thing that the Iranians can’t block, that’s solar and wind in Massachusetts; that’s battery storage in Massachusetts; that’s geothermal and hydro in Massachusetts. So we’re not going to back down on what we know works to lower bills.”

The governor noted several actions from the Trump administration that left industries in “chaos,” including dismantling tax credits for solar and wind, blocking permits and exporting gas to other places.

One Republican gubernatorial candidate running against Healey, Mike Kennealy, criticized the announcement, calling the strategy a “partisan climate agenda” in a statement Monday.

“The reality is that if Governor Healey had not blocked two natural gas pipelines from entering Massachusetts, we would not be facing the energy challenges we have today,” Kennealy said. “Instead, families are forced to pay for expensive green mandates and gimmicks embedded in their utility bills that continue to drive rates higher.”

The Healey administration emphasized past projects upping energy resources in the state, including the Vineyard Wind offshore wind energy project finished on Friday that the administration said is a power source for over 400,000 homes and businesses.

“We need predictable pricing that we can count on, like our latest transmission line, which provides 20% of the electricity in Massachusetts for a fixed low price,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper, citing the Hydro Quebec project completed in January. “Or Vineyard Wind, which just finished construction on Friday and provided power throughout this winter. We streamlined permits to get more solar and storage built, and we invite the federal government to join us.”

Healey also cited her Energy Affordability, Independence and Innovation bill currently before the state legislature, arguing it would “bring down your costs by $13 billion over time.”

Chrissy Lynch, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, welcomed the executive order as supporting “thousands of middle class union jobs.”

“Massachusetts needs more reliable energy, and we meet need more family sustaining union jobs,” Lynch said. “Both of which give working class people the economic security to be able to stay here to support their families and invest in our local communities.”

The administration laid out several upcoming steps to meet the target, including building more solar projects “before President Trump ends federal support;” expand wind, nuclear and fusion energy; and lowering cost for geothermal heating and cooling.

“This executive order is a directive to all of us to build upon and speed up this work,” said Tepper. “And it’s a commitment. Whatever is going on in the world, Massachusetts is going to be a stable place to do business. We’re going to honor our permits, we’re going to offer programs that developers can rely on, and we’re going to be clear about what we’re working towards.

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