MAINE MONITOR/PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 20, 2026
On Jan. 27, Massachusetts saw the highest natural gas price ever recorded since grid operator ISO-New England updated its pricing database in 2003. That day prices on the New England grid soared to $441.8/MWh by one metric, compared with an average of $135.08/MWh in January 2025. Cold snaps like those that recently gripped Maine cause natural gas prices to skyrocket and electricity prices along with them because natural gas accounted for 55% of total electricity generation on the New England grid in 2025 and is turned to when electricity demand is at its highest. Experts say the state should hasten energy project permitting and transmission interconnection to keep prices down long-term.