Press Releases

LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, announced her support for two key pieces of legislation to lower home heating costs and continue driving down gas prices. Together, the bills will save Massachusetts families money heading into the winter.

“Families are hurting right now, and the last thing they need is for their utility bills to go up forty, fifty, or even a hundred bucks a month this winter. I’m laser-focused on doing everything possible to keep prices down and keep money in families’ pockets,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “That’s why I support these commonsense pieces of legislation that will increase the supply of critical home heating oil and gas this winter. And it’s why I’m more committed than ever to ending our dependence on fossil fuels in the long run, so we’re no longer dependent on the goodwill of Big Oil corporations, OPEC, or Russia.”

Trahan formally signed on as a cosponsor and urged passage of:

The Home Heating Oil Price Reduction Act: Congresswoman Annie Kuster’s (NH-02) legislation to increase the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve (NEHHOR) from 1 million to 4 million barrels. The legislation would increase home heating oil supplies across New England at a time when heating and utility costs are expected to surge due to oil and natural gas shortages.

The Buy Low and Sell High Act: House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr.'s (NJ-06) legislation to create an Emergency Petroleum Reserve that would buy oil when prices are low and sell when prices are high, passing those savings onto Americans facing cost fluctuations at the pump. The bill would further insulate American families from OPEC and Russian price hikes.

As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Trahan has been a leader on efforts to lower gas and home heating costs. When gas prices surged earlier this year, Trahan grilled Big Oil executives about price-gouging at the pump. She then supported passage of the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act to prohibit oil companies from taking advantage of crises like the war in Ukraine to artificially increase prices.

Following news that National Grid and Eversource plan to hike home heating and utility prices, Trahan voted last week for a $1 billion increase to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which will deliver an estimated $37 million in home heating assistance for Massachusetts families. She followed that vote by leading the entire Massachusetts Congressional Delegation in requesting that the Biden administration release the new LIHEAP funds as soon as possible.

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