An abrupt electrical failure at the Massachusetts State House on Thursday knocked out the building's internet and key public systems, stalling most legislative business and cutting off livestreams to the public as staff and lawmakers scrambled for workarounds.
Outage traced to external power line on Derne Street
Legislative Information Services told members and staff that the trouble started Wednesday night when an external power line on Derne Street that feeds the State House failed, leaving parts of the building running on backup generator power. The Executive Office for Administration and Finance said Eversource brought in a generator Wednesday night, and Legislative Information Services warned that "systems and services residing in our data center will be taken offline until the power has been fully restored," according to NBC Boston.
Networks, LAWS and livestreams knocked out
The outage sidelined Wi‑Fi, remote desktop access, VPN connectivity and the LAWS system that lawmakers rely on to pull bills and records. The legislature's website, which carries the House and Senate livestreams, also went dark. "Representatives did not attend to any business during a three-minute House session at 11 a.m.," the State House News Service reported in coverage carried by NBC Boston. Electronic display boards in the House chamber were off, representatives briefly welcomed high-school athletes and then quickly adjourned until Monday, while the Senate convened at 11:18 a.m. and adopted an order seeking a court opinion on an initiative petition involving public records.
State House has faced similar power problems before
This latest disruption follows earlier electrical trouble at the State House. In July 2023, a basement electrical fire forced evacuations and temporarily shut the building, and investigators later determined the blaze was accidental, underscoring how a single fault can ripple through the complex's systems, according to WBUR.
What is next
Legislative Information Services has said systems will stay offline until full power is restored, leaving staff to lean on manual records and in-person processes for now. Lawmakers cautioned that the disruption could slow some committee work and limit public access to live proceedings until web services return, and officials have not given a firm timetable for when everything will be back up.
