Mass. Governor Shifts Stance on Gas Pipelines Amid Election
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey now supports expanding gas pipelines, marking a shift from her past opposition.
2 min read
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, a Democrat who once claimed credit for stopping two gas pipelines, has shifted her stance in a recent debate, stating that her state needs more natural gas. During a debate with Republican challenger Mike Minogue, Healey emphasized her support for gas as a crucial energy source.
“But we need more gas. We need more gas. We need all forms of energy,” Healey said in the debate, which was hosted by WCVB with WBUR and The Boston Globe. The comments represent a notable change from her earlier position, where she had taken credit for blocking gas pipeline projects as attorney general.
Healey also highlighted her support for clean energy, including wind, solar, hydropower, and geothermal energy, while reiterating her stance on the importance of continuing gas usage. “I support clean energy. I support clean energy. But it doesn’t mean that we stop what we’re doing with gas,” she stated. “We need to continue with gas, and gas is a cleaner form of energy anyways.”
When pressed by WBUR’s Tiziana Dearing about whether the state should roll back its aggressive climate goals, Healey responded, “We shouldn’t roll back climate goals, but goals are goals. What matters is what are you doing today to operationalize something.”
Healey’s campaign did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. In the debate, Minogue pointed out that Healey had previously stopped natural gas pipelines from entering Massachusetts, arguing that Pennsylvania’s natural gas resources should be brought into the state.
“She stopped the natural gas pipelines coming in,” Minogue said. He later argued that Pennsylvania has “massive natural resources of natural gas that we need to bring in that Attorney General Maura Healey stopped.”
Healey responded by mentioning a study that showed the state does not need increased gas capacity for electric reliability and that ratepayers should not bear the cost of additional pipelines. She also stated that she has asked the federal government for permission to expand existing pipelines, including a planned expansion of the Algonquin gas pipeline system.
It was the candidates’ last debate ahead of the Nov. 3 election, as noted on WCVB’s YouTube page. Healey is considered the heavy favorite to win reelection due to Massachusetts’ strong Democratic lean.
Source: Daily Caller
