BOSTON, MA — Several members of the Massachusetts Alliance for Fair Competition testified last month on House Bill 1379 to prohibit utility cross-subsidization. State Senator Michael Morrissey (D-Norfolk), Joint Government Regulations Committee Chair, announced that he would set up a special subcommittee to look at the issue of cross-subsidization more carefully.

Recently, more possible practices of cross-subsidization have occurred with the Massachusetts utility KeySpan Energy. The utility company’s website (www.myHomeKey.com) is said to promise services from working on hvac equipment to cutting lawns and cleaning pools. The site also says that over 40,000 service providers nationwide are advertising widely in the Massachusetts area by using a KeySpan announcement. Contractors are charging that these advertise-ments are virtually indistinguishable from the utility’s.

Publication date: 05/14/2001