A new report commissioned by seven conservative-leaning organizations and free-market think tanks paints Massachusetts’ and New England’s devotion to renewable energy as failed policy that will cost residents more than $815 billion, won’t meet electricity demand, and result in rolling blackouts.
Massachusetts residents will pay the biggest share of the pie, $405 billion, if the region is to achieve its decarbonization goals, the report found. In Massachusetts, state law says net zero carbon emissions must be reached by 2050.
The report, titled “The Staggering Costs of New England’s Green Energy Policies,” received pushback from various sources, including Gov. Maura T. Healey’s administration, which believes renewable energy will end a reliance on fossil fuels that harm the environment and will generate thousands of jobs.
The study, conducted by Always on Energy Research, was released on Tuesday during a virtual meeting attended by representatives from the groups that commissioned the study: Yankee Institute, Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity, Fiscal Alliance Foundation, The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, Maine Policy Institute, Ethan Allan Institute and Americans for Prosperity Foundation.