Let’s not bury the lede in this story “Public slow to warm to heat pumps, ” [Recorder, Athol Daily News, Jan. 8]. The headline might prompt skimming readers to think there could be something wrong with heat pumps. Whereas, regulatory capture, or when an industry has control of the government agency in charge of regulating their industry, is not just another issue. When the foxes are in charge of the henhouse, it is not going to go well for the chickens. And when foxes in the fossil fuel industries self-regulate and then hire super effective and totally amoral PR firms to do their bidding — watch out!

The Department of Public Utilities in Massachusetts which, among other duties, sets rates, has enjoyed a long, sordid affair with the fossil fuel industry. The DPU’s past record shows they favored more infrastructure and support for non-renewables — not us consumers or our planet. News media outlets are full of articles saying that aggressive climate action will hurt economic growth, fuel inflation, punish low- and middle-income families and foster energy insecurity. These articles covertly push the Big Oil’s agenda.

Let’s hope Governor Maura Healey’s new appointees on the DPU can lead Massachusetts to be as aggressive as our climate crisis demands in generating low-carbon electrical energy.

Norah Dooley

Royalston