FITCHBURG — With the calendar flipping over to reveal another a new page, state Rep. Michael Kushmerek said recently that he is looking forward to attacking several problems in the new year and “first and foremost is energy affordability.”
He’s the vice chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, and takes that role seriously.
“We must realize that we need to adapt to the changing dynamics coming out of Washington,” Kushmerek said, noting that federal officials have recently halted work on offshore wind and other projects.
“We need to take a look at our short- and long-term objectives as a state and recognize that wind and solar are hostile environment at the federal level. … the New England grid was preparing for that new energy. We’re not going to be able to meet our objectives with the administration we have today.”
He said in hindsight, the fairly recent decommissioning of a nuclear power plant in the state, Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, was “shortsighted at a time when we’re seeing increases in usage … especially in peak hours … . That demand won’t stop.”
He said he is working on a bill to improve energy grid optimization and equipment upgrades, which would pay off in savings over the next 10 years, but acknowledged that that is “nice but does nothing for people today.”
But he said he also hopes to approve legislation to save ratepayers with a “bill this session that will help ease the pain and the sticker shock when they open their bill.”
In the bill he hopes to lower the financial threshold on participants to take advantage of MassSave energy efficiency efforts, as well as claw back MassSave advertising funds that turned into ads for the energy companies more so than for the MassSave programs. MassSave pays for a portion of some energy-efficiency projects in people’s homes, such as adding insulation or installing more-efficient heating systems.
Education
Another priority at this time for Kushmerek is working on education and literacy in the state.
Kushmerek said Massachusetts has traditionally had the highest literacy rates in young children, but “we’re losing our lead to states that are using scientific methods … the methods have changed and we need to keep pace.”
He said the voters’ decision to remove the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests as a high school graduation requirement is also provoking thoughts about what can be done to make sure the state remains a leader in education.
So now, the question is, “what is the value of that degree?” Kushmerek asked.
Kushmerek said a commission is being set up with various participants that will take 18 months to come up for recommendations, which he said could include course requirements or other methods “making sure that you not only are the most competitive, but have received the best education in the country. I think that’s something we all take pride in.”
Roads
Road repairs are another issue on Kushmerek’s mind. Fitchburg in particular has been called out for having numerous roads in bad shape.
“Everybody’s talking about roads, and well-deserved,” he said.
This past year he was able to help both Fitchburg and Lunenburg receive more Chapter 90 road repair funds than usual. “We’re looking to sustain that and hopefully keep building on that,” he said.
But, he noted that while many cities and towns chip in some funds to help repair their own roads, in addition to the state and federal Chapter 90 road repair funds, Fitchburg has not been able to do that in recent years.
He said there’s 200 miles of roads in Fitchburg and, “There’s only so much that state funding can do to pave all those roads and keep up,” he said.
But he said he’s seeing signs that Fitchburg might be pulling out of the tough times it’s seen over the last 20 years.
New housing
One area of optimism, Kushmerek said, was in housing, saying that with what has been done in the last four years and what is planned in the next three years, it will add up to 200 new housing units in downtown Fitchburg.
On Thursday, he and state Sen. John Cronin highlighted $1 million in new aid to Fitchburg, which will be used to support housing production projects already underway. The funds, which were included in the Fiscal Year 2026 state budget, will be distributed between the city and the Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority, the city’s independent economic development agency tasked with facilitating infrastructure investments and development projects. Included in the final budget is $750,000 for the FRA, as well as an additional $304,000 direct funding to the city to further expand housing opportunities downtown.
“We’re seeing housing as a driver, and as a complement to economic growth,” Kushmerek said.
He said a number of new shops have opened downtown, and the overall prospects for the area are looking up.
“Already, people want to spend time downtown … I’m incredibly bullish on the state of downtown Fitchburg. But we need to keep our feet on the gas there.”
He also said the recent projects to build a new school and library “will pay dividends for decades to come.”
He characterized the new, but empty, Amazon warehouse on Intervale Road in Fitchburg as “a bit of a blow,” saying “maybe it was an overestimation of square footage they would need, but they’re sitting on a number of these assets and hopefully in the future,” it will pay off for Fitchburg. “It would have been a nice little infusion of revenue in terms of tax revenue and new jobs.”
Home health care
Kushmerek is also working on a home health care bill. He took care of his aging parents for more than a decade, during which time his father suffered from dementia, so he says he feels a close connection to those who care for their loved ones or as workers in people’s homes.
“I’d do it all over again … but it was an incredible sacrifice,” and it was difficult to make things work, especially negotiating with his employer when he needed to run home or make other arrangements to help his parents.
He said one in eight people have been caregivers, and “a substantial number exit the workforce or make sacrifices to care for a loved one, a parent or grandparent.”
He said he’s looking at creating a commission to rethink some of the realities of caregiving in Massachusetts.
One thing he feels should change is the fact that while many people who are caregivers now are paid at least somewhat, partially due to the new federal tax credit, spouses have been left out of that equation, and he said that’s not right.
Plus he said the state should reward caregivers in the home as it’s a 1-7 ratio of cost, with it being that much more expensive to have someone be in a nursing home.
He said keeping seniors in their homes “is not just humane, but it’s the right thing to do and it saves money.”
“Let’s find ways to help our caregivers,” he said.
“It’s something that I’m deeply passionate about — but every time I tell that story (of his own time being a caregiver) someone says they cared for someone in their family, went through it, and it was hell … we don’t have to accept that there’s nothing we can do to improve. … Our job is to say, ‘What can we do to help?’”
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