Questions about solar, batteries, and what Zoë does, answered.

Massachusetts homeowners pay some of the highest electricity rates in the country, and there are a few reasons that's unlikely to improve on its own.

A significant portion of every electric bill in Massachusetts isn't for the electricity itself. It's the delivery charge: the cost of maintaining aging power lines, replacing decades-old transformers, and modernizing a grid that in many cases was built in the 1960s and 70s. As utilities invest billions in infrastructure upgrades, those costs are passed directly to customers. At the same time, Massachusetts relies heavily on electricity and fuel imported from other states and Canada, making prices vulnerable to outside supply and demand.

Demand on the grid is also growing, from electric vehicles, heat pumps, and AI data centers, which puts more pressure on the system and drives rates higher during peak usage periods. Most homeowners have no way to control any of this. Solar and battery storage are one way to reduce how much of your energy you're buying from the utility at whatever price they set.