In 2025, chief executives at the nation’s largest investor-owned electric and gas utilities collected a combined $626 million in total compensation, even as millions of households nationwide — including thousands across Massachusetts — struggled to keep up with skyrocketing energy bills.
For families in New Bedford and the broader South Coast, the numbers hit especially hard: Eversource Energy, which provides electricity to much of the region, saw its CEO Joseph Nolan earn $14,987,168 — the 13th-highest pay package among utility leaders nationally.
That figure, which includes hefty stock awards and performance bonuses, arrived as Massachusetts residential customers collectively owed more than $832 million in past-due electric and gas bills late last year — a 75 percent jump since 2019. The average delinquent account sat at roughly $997, with about half of struggling households more than 90 days behind.
Photo by Carlos Castro.…