Healey plans to cut solar, renewable energy charges in utility bills

Driving the news: Healey announced plans to offer assistance to some 50,000 middle-class households who use oil heating systems through an executive order.

• Eligible residents would get up to $680 between December and April.
• Her executive order also removes the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program charge and cuts the Alternative Portfolio Standard charge by 50% from electric bills this winter.
• Healey said declaring the state of energy emergency enables her to activate legal protections against petroleum price gouging.

By the numbers: The new oil heating benefit recipients typically make too much to qualify for existing state energy aid, Healey said.

• In this case, a family of four earning up to $170,000 would be eligible for assistance.

What we're watching: Healey also sent a letter to Congress asking for another $3 billion in emergency funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

• That would bring the total funding to $7 billion.