Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has apparently made an important discovery: natural gas is good after all. After spending years opposing natural gas pipelines and pursuing legal action against energy companies, Healey now says the Commonwealth needs more of the very fuel she worked so hard to keep out.
During a recent gubernatorial debate, Healey told voters, “We need more gas. We need more gas. We need all forms of energy.” Natural gas, she added, is “a cleaner form of energy anyways.”
This is the same politician who boasted during her 2022 campaign that she had “stopped two gas pipelines from coming into this state.” In 2023, she was equally clear: “We don’t want any of those pipelines.” As attorney general, she argued that Massachusetts did not need additional natural gas capacity to maintain electric reliability.
Fast-forward to October 2026, and Healey is asking the Trump administration to expedite approval for an expansion of the Algonquin natural gas pipeline system. Her administration estimates that project could save 600,000 Massachusetts customers $40 million annually by reducing reliance on more expensive imported liquefied natural gas. No kidding.
The irony would be amusing if Massachusetts families weren’t paying the price for years of her misguided energy policies.
The state is within reach of the Marcellus Shale, one of the world’s largest natural gas-producing regions. Thanks to American innovation and private investment, producers in nearby Pennsylvania have unlocked enormous supplies of affordable natural gas. They would also be producing that same natural gas in New York state, but like Governor Healey, New York politicians have also pursued misguided energy policies, including banning drilling and blocking pipelines, which have driven up costs for everyone in the region. Yet Massachusetts consumers remain dependent in part on expensive imported LNG because getting more domestic gas into New England has become a political and regulatory obstacle course.
There’s another irony in Healey’s newfound enthusiasm for natural gas. As attorney general, she sued Exxon Mobil, accusing the company of misleading consumers by promoting the environmental benefits of its fossil fuel products. Her lawsuit challenged advertising that promoted certain gasoline and motor oil products as better for the environment. Her office called it “greenwashing.” Now she’s making her own case for the environmental advantages of natural gas. Which is it, Governor Healey?
A New York court recently drove upheld the dismissal of a separate greenwashing lawsuit brought by New York City. The city argued that advertising gasoline products as cleaner or capable of reducing emissions was misleading because those products still contribute to climate change. The court didn’t buy it, saying that “not even the least sophisticated consumer” would believe that using those products meant driving without producing emissions.
That’s common sense. But Healey seems to understand that distinction only when it suits her. Apparently, it’s perfectly acceptable to talk about the environmental advantages of natural gas provided you’re running for reelection rather than running an energy company.
We welcome Governor Healey’s change of heart about the benefits of natural gas, but Massachusetts families need more than a change in rhetoric. They need reliable electricity and affordable heat. For years, Commonwealth leaders have pursued policies that discourage the infrastructure required to move abundant American natural gas to New England. Consumers are paying for those decisions in their monthly utility bills.
If Governor Healey is serious about lowering energy costs, she should stop standing in the way of the infrastructure needed to deliver affordable, reliable energy. Massachusetts has access to some of the most abundant natural gas resources in the world, yet families are paying a premium because politicians have spent years making it harder to get that energy where it needs to go.
The people paying those bills don’t have the luxury of changing their minds about energy every election cycle. They need to heat their homes, keep the lights on, and have something left over at the end of the month. Healey is right that Massachusetts needs more natural gas. It’s a shame it took years of rising energy costs – and a reelection campaign – for her to admit it.
This article originally appeared at Real Clear Energy
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The post Natural gas Is “cleaner” – But only when Maura Healey says so was first published by the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), and is republished here with permission. Please support their efforts.
