Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey declared an energy emergency Oct. 5, blaming the war with Iran for rising heating costs and ordering heating assistance and temporary reductions in charges on electricity bills.
In the executive order, Healey said the war had disrupted global energy markets and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing heating oil prices in Massachusetts above $6 a gallon—nearly 75 percent higher than last year.
“The war with Iran has severely disrupted global energy markets and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for oil and petroleum, contributing to higher and more volatile crude oil and refined petroleum product prices, and creating an energy crisis in the United States,” the emergency order declared. …