New England Governors Demand Emergency $3B to Stop Winter Heating Crisis

As winter approaches and energy prices soar, the governors of New England are asking Congress to allocate additional funding for energy assistance for residents in the Northeast.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, and Vermont Gov. Phil Scott are seeking $3 billion in Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds in addition to the $4 billion already allocated by Congress.

The six have sent a letter to the leadership of the both the House Committee on Appropriations and its Senate counterpart, whose membership includes Maine Senator Susan Collins (Chair) and Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Ranking Member), saying additional funding is "urgently needed."

New England Governors Plead For More Federal Heating Assistance

Escalating Winter Energy Costs Threaten New England

"For families already living on tight budgets, higher energy bills add to an increasingly difficult financial burden," the letter states. "Seniors on fixed incomes, families with young children, and people with disabilities are especially vulnerable, often facing the difficult choice between maintaining safe temperatures in their homes and meeting other basic needs."

Shift in Massachusetts Pipeline Strategy

Healey boasted during the 2022 campaign for Governor of Massachusetts that as Attorney General she "stopped two gas pipelines from coming into this state." In October 2026, Healey asked the U.S. Department of Energy to speed up the review process that could lead to the extension of the Beacon Pipeline into Massachusetts.

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Projecting a 50 Percent Surge in Heating Oil

In their letter, the governors emphasized the need for more heating assistance in New England "where cold winters, older housing, and a heavy reliance on delivered heating fuel leave families especially exposed to the dramatic price increases America is currently experiencing."

The governors say the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) expects heating oil prices to rise 50 percent this winter.