Press Release: 1/15/2026

Healey Administration Quietly Delays Clean Heat Tax Until After Election

We want to make sure you’re aware of a recent development in a planned policy that would significantly impact your home heating costs in the years ahead.



This could be one of the most significant issues leading up to the Governor’s election. Every candidate running for state office should be talking about this issue. 



Late last month, the Healey administration quietly delayed implementation of the so-called Clean Heat Standard, a new state mandate that would raise the cost of heating homes that use natural gas, oil, or propane, and eventually apply to electric heating as well. Essentially, they’re imposing a tax on home heating. The policy was originally scheduled to begin in 2026. It has now been pushed back to 2028.



That timing is not accidental.



By delaying the Clean Heat Standard until 2028, the Healey administration has ensured the policy will not take effect until after the 2026 gubernatorial election and during the first full winter of Governor Healey’s second term, should she be re-elected.



The Clean Heat Standard is part of the state’s broader Net Zero by 2050 agenda and is designed to push consumers away from traditional heating fuels. Independent analysis estimates the mandate would increase annual home heating costs by $255 to $425 per household, with working families, seniors, and small businesses hit hardest.



Despite claiming the delay is needed to study affordability and gather more data, MassDEP has already been collecting detailed fuel sales and emissions data from energy providers for years. State officials already know how many households will be affected and how large the heating economy is in Massachusetts.



What has changed is not the data, it’s the political risk.



A recent study also found the Clean Heat Standard would disproportionately harm smaller, local fuel dealers while favoring larger companies and heat pump installers, further consolidating the market and limiting consumer choice.



Delaying this policy does not make it cheaper or less harmful. It simply hides the impact until after voters have gone to the polls.



If Governor Healey believes this mandate is necessary and affordable, she should defend it openly and provide a full accounting of what it will cost Massachusetts families. Quietly postponing a major new heating tax only confirms that these policies cannot withstand public scrutiny.

 

Watch Our Latest Video on the Clean Heat Standard: https://x.com/MassFiscal/status/2011783408200933827

 

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance will continue pushing for transparency, accountability, and energy policies that prioritize affordability over rigid ideological mandates. We feel strongly that the NetZero by 2050 mandate should be repealed, along with this latest climate mandate. We hope the candidates running for office this November agree.