By Bob Katzen

“Today’s ruling confirms what we have argued from the beginning: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cannot erase a $7 billion program that Congress created and funded. For more than a year, families and communities have seen higher energy bills while billions of dollars intended to lower electricity costs sat out of reach. Today’s decision makes clear that EPA unlawfully terminated the Solar for All Program.”

— Jillian Blanchard, Senior Vice President of Climate Change and Environmental Justice at Lawyers for Good Government, on a federal judge’s ruling that the EPA unlawfully canceled the $7 billion programs, striking down the agency’s decision to end a nationwide program designed to lower electricity bills and bring affordable solar power to families and communities across the country.

“Across Massachusetts, VA medical centers remain dedicated to helping veterans secure safe, stable housing along with the supportive services they need to succeed. These grants strengthen our partnerships with community organizations and help us reach veterans where they are, providing resources that make a meaningful difference in their lives.”
— Jonathan Kerr, executive director of VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System, on the Federal Department of Veterans Affairs awarding $40.26 million in grants to 16 community organizations to help Veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in Massachusetts.

“This is about lowering energy costs and keeping the lights on when communities need it most. These investments will help schools, affordable housing, community centers and other critical facilities stay powered during outages while strengthening our grid for the future. We’re also making sure first responders and local officials have the training and tools they need as more energy storage comes online across Massachusetts.”
— Gov. Healey announcing $40.3 million in grants to expand energy storage across Massachusetts, helping critical facilities stay powered during outages, supporting training for first responders and municipal officials and advancing innovative long-duration storage technologies.

“The commission has already been hard at work in 2026 remodeling our regulations as the industry continues to evolve, and we look forward to taking on a wide range of updates this fall. Modernizing our regulations will keep us in line with requirements … but will also allow us to better protect public health and safety, improve the business climate and increase consumer confidence.”
— Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) chair Chris Harding announcing the CCC will begin a series of public meetings to undertake one of the largest efforts to modernize cannabis regulations in commission history, with topics including cannabis testing protocols, medical marijuana licensing and registered agent training up for discussion.