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.

Limiting the projected rise in energy demand reduces both the amount of electricity and infrastructure that utilities would need to purchase and pass on to customers. A 2026 analysis by environmental nonprofit Acadia Center found that $8.4 billion in ratepayer investments in Mass Save between 2016 and 2024 yielded $16 billion in savings. The report also found that a $1 billion cut to the program would cost customers $4.5 billion in lost benefits.

And on the hottest day of 2025, the program generated more than $2.6 million in savings in a single hour by lowering peak energy demand, according to the Department of Energy Resources.

“This is more essential than ever,” said Kyle Murray, Massachusetts program director at Acadia Center, an environmental nonprofit. “It just lays bare that this is the economic pain that we are vulnerable to by not making these investments.”

To read the full article from Commonwealth Beacon, click here.