Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has called on New England’s major transmission utilities to stop delaying refunds and return money that federal regulators say ratepayers are owed.
In a letter dated October 13, 2026, Healey wrote to Lisa Wieland of National Grid, Joseph R. Nolan Jr. of Eversource Energy, and Thomas Meissner Jr. of Unitil. She cited a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finding that the utilities collected unjustly high returns on equity (ROE) on transmission rates for more than a decade, dating back to 2011. New England electric customers are owed roughly $1.5 billion as a result.
After a long legal fight, FERC ordered the companies to issue the refunds within 30 days. The utilities and ISO New England sought more time; FERC later pushed the deadline to May 20, 2027. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected further attempts to stall. Healey called additional delay “unacceptable,” especially as residents face another winter of high energy bills.
She urged the companies to drop their appeals and begin paying Massachusetts customers right away. By October 27, 2026, she requested three pieces of information: a clear accounting of the refunds due to Massachusetts ratepayers, a schedule for returning the money, and details on how the refunds will be delivered.
The letter underscores the tension between regulated utilities and ratepayers over excess charges that have already been ruled unlawful. With winter approaching, Healey’s message is straightforward: the money belongs to customers, and it should be returned without further procedural hurdles.