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Fiscal Alliance Foundation The Fiscal Alliance Foundation is a IRS determined 501(c)3 non-partisan, non-profit organization.

10/13/2026

Massachusetts ratepayers are paying some of the highest energy costs in the country. Net Zero policies are also driving down the supply of natural gas.

Paul Craney and Mike Urban talk about our latest study that says additional natural gas pipeline capacity could put real money back in their pockets.

The Fiscal Alliance Foundation’s new Project Beacon study estimates that expanding the Algonquin Gas Transmission system by 300 MMcf/d could save Massachusetts ratepayers an average of $367 million every winter.

For a typical gas-heated household, the numbers work out to an estimated $95 in annual winter savings against approximately $19 in costs, leaving the household about $76 ahead.

For commercial customers, the estimated savings are even larger: $792 per winter against an estimated $170 cost, for approximately $622 in net savings.

And the benefits become more significant when Massachusetts needs the energy most. The study found that additional pipeline capacity could reduce winter price spikes while also reducing the region’s use of more expensive fuel oil.

💰 $367 million in estimated savings per winter
🏠 $76 in net savings for a typical household
🏪 $622 in net savings for a typical commercial account
🔥 300 MMcf/d in additional firm natural gas capacity
🛢️ 8.4 million fewer gallons of fuel oil burned per winter

For years, Massachusetts has debated how to bring down energy costs while ensuring enough energy is available during the coldest days of the year.

Now there are numbers attached to one potential answer.

The question is: who will back the savings?

10/08/2026

If collective-bargaining rights are already protected, what does Proposal 3 actually change?

Vermont State Rep. Greg Burtt breaks down some of the bigger questions surrounding the proposed constitutional amendment, including what it could mean for worker choice and future labor policy in Vermont.

Proposal 3 would put collective-bargaining protections directly into the Vermont Constitution. That raises questions not only about the rights workers already have today, but about how the amendment could affect future lawmakers, future changes to labor law, and the choices available to Vermont workers.

There’s more to Proposal 3 than its name suggests. Before changing the Constitution, it’s worth understanding what the amendment would actually do and what its longer-term effects could be.

Watch what Rep. Burtt has to say, then learn more at FiscalAllianceFoundation.org.

10/08/2026

If collective-bargaining rights are already protected, what does Proposal 3 actually change?

State Rep. Greg Burtt breaks down some of the bigger questions surrounding the proposed constitutional amendment, including what it could mean for worker choice and future labor policy in Vermont.

Proposal 3 would put collective-bargaining protections directly into the Vermont Constitution. That raises questions not only about the rights workers already have today, but about how the amendment could affect future lawmakers, future changes to labor law, and the choices available to Vermont workers.

There’s more to Proposal 3 than its name suggests. Before changing the Constitution, it’s worth understanding what the amendment would actually do and what its longer-term effects could be.

Watch what Rep. Burtt has to say, then learn more at FiscalAllianceFoundation.org.

10/07/2026

Vermonters will soon consider Proposal 3, a constitutional amendment dealing with collective-bargaining rights.

Changing the state Constitution is a significant decision. Understanding Proposal 3 starts with asking some basic questions about what it would change and what its potential effects could be.

What rights do workers already have today? What would change if those protections were added to the Vermont Constitution? And what economic or fiscal effects could follow?

Our research looks at the amendment, the protections already in place, and the broader questions Vermonters may want to consider.

Read our research and learn more at FiscalAllianceFoundation.org.

📰 NEW in VTDigger: Fiscal Alliance Foundation Vermont State Director Elizabeth Brown examines Proposal 3 and what puttin...
10/02/2026

📰 NEW in VTDigger: Fiscal Alliance Foundation Vermont State Director Elizabeth Brown examines Proposal 3 and what putting labor policy into Vermont’s Constitution could mean for the state’s economy, taxpayers and future lawmakers.

Her commentary looks at Vermont’s private-sector job growth, cost of living, tax burden and experience in other states, and asks a central question: Can Vermont afford Proposal 3?

Read the full commentary at link in comments 👇

10/02/2026

How much could Project Labor Agreements add to the cost of major Massachusetts construction projects, including the Sagamore Bridge replacement?

Our latest study, authored by Fiscal Alliance Foundation Visiting Fellow Paul Bachman, reviewed research on PLA construction costs and found an average 16.2% cost premium across the studies examined. Applied to the Sagamore Bridge’s estimated hard construction costs, the study estimates a potential $293 million increase.

Governor Maura Healey’s Executive Order 641 requires state agencies to review major public construction projects for potential PLA use, while the Sagamore Bridge replacement is already moving forward with one.

🎥 Visiting Fellow Paul Bachman breaks down what PLAs are, what the research found, and what they could mean for the Sagamore Bridge and other major public construction projects across Massachusetts.

Full study in comments 👇

10/02/2026

How much could Project Labor Agreements add to the cost of major Massachusetts construction projects, including the Sagamore Bridge replacement?

Our latest study, authored by Fiscal Alliance Foundation Visiting Fellow Paul Bachman, reviewed research on PLA construction costs and found an average 16.2% cost premium across the studies examined. Applied to the Sagamore Bridge’s estimated hard construction costs, the study estimates a potential $293 million increase.

Governor Maura Healey’s Executive Order 641 requires state agencies to review major public construction projects for potential PLA use, while the Sagamore Bridge replacement is already moving forward with one.

🎥 Visiting Fellow Paul Bachman breaks down what PLAs are, what the research found, and what they could mean for the Sagamore Bridge and other major public construction projects across Massachusetts.

📖 Read the full study in comments 👇

📰 The Wall Street Journal is highlighting our Project Beacon research.Kim Strassel featured the Fiscal Alliance Foundati...
10/02/2026

📰 The Wall Street Journal is highlighting our Project Beacon research.

Kim Strassel featured the Fiscal Alliance Foundation’s study examining what additional natural gas pipeline capacity could mean for Massachusetts ratepayers, including an estimated $367 million in average savings each winter across natural gas and electricity costs.

As Strassel put it: “Good for consumers, good for the environment.”

Our research is helping bring national attention to the debate over energy affordability and infrastructure in Massachusetts.

🔗 Read the Wall Street Journal piece in the comments.

Gov. Healey Adds PLA Mandate to Sagamore Bridge as FAF Study Warns of $293 Million CostNew requirement puts potential co...
09/29/2026

Gov. Healey Adds PLA Mandate to Sagamore Bridge as FAF Study Warns of $293 Million Cost

New requirement puts potential cost of Project Labor Agreements front and center on $1.6 billion bridge project

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey’s administration is moving forward with a mandatory Project Labor Agreement on the replacement of the Sagamore Bridge, just days after the Fiscal Alliance Foundation released a new study examining the potential cost of PLA requirements on major Massachusetts infrastructure projects.

MassDOT’s newly released Request for Proposals requires the selected design-build team to execute a Project Labor Agreement with organized labor. The preliminary project cost is estimated at more than $1.6 billion.

“This is exactly the kind of major public project our study warned about,” said Fiscal Alliance Foundation Executive Director Paul Diego Craney. “The Sagamore Bridge needs to be replaced, but taxpayers should not be forced to pay more than necessary to get it done. On a project this large, policies that reduce competition and increase construction costs can quickly translate into hundreds of millions of dollars.”

The Fiscal Alliance Foundation’s study reviewed research examining the cost implications of PLAs and found an average estimated PLA cost premium of 16.2 percent across the studies analyzed.

Applying that methodology to the Sagamore Bridge project, the Foundation estimated that a PLA could add approximately $293 million to the cost of replacing the bridge.

The administration’s decision also comes after MassDOT earlier this year said it was preparing a PLA evaluation and analysis for the Sagamore Bridge project. The newly released RFP now makes ex*****on of a PLA a requirement for the winning bidder.

“The administration had a choice between maximizing competition for one of the most expensive infrastructure projects in Massachusetts history or putting additional restrictions on who can compete for the work. It chose the restrictions,” said Craney. “Before taxpayers are asked to absorb the consequences, Governor Healey should explain why restricting competition and adding extra costs on a $1.6 billion public project is worth it for taxpayers.”

The Foundation’s study points to Massachusetts projects where PLA requirements have previously raised concerns about competition and costs. It also notes that MassDOT already maintains a rigorous contractor prequalification process intended to ensure firms bidding on state construction projects meet standards for experience, capacity and performance.

The Sagamore Bridge PLA requirement comes as the state prepares to spend billions of federal and state dollars replacing the aging Cape Cod bridges. The Healey administration announced Monday that $956 million in federal funding has been authorized for the Sagamore project, with additional federal funding expected.

“This bridge needs to be replaced, and taxpayers have waited long enough for it,” said Craney. “That makes it even more important to get the procurement right. Every qualified contractor should have the opportunity to compete, and every available dollar should be focused on delivering the best bridge at the best value for taxpayers.”

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