On January 23rd, in a speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced plans to organize an energy summit to address the high costs of energy in Massachusetts. The summit would include a variety of government, industry and environmental stakeholders, and would take place in the spring.

Coakley said that Massachusetts has the fifth highest energy costs in the country, and that industry pays the highest energy costs in the nation. The Attorney General was clear that addressing the increasing costs of energy will be vital for Massachusetts to stay competitive. She told the audience, “If we’re successful what it means for Massachusetts is that you, businesses in Massachusetts, will have more money to invest and create jobs. It means you will have a better chance to compete with businesses across the country and it means that our state economy will grow for everybody,”

Coakley wants greater competition in the energy market, and called for enhanced transparency in electric bills, so consumers can better understand what they are paying. She also wants the state to leverage the success of the Green Communities Act to encourage energy efficiency.