PLEASE ACT NOW!

Your help is needed immediately to stop a last-minute rush to pass the Wind Energy Siting Reform Act.
 
This special interest legislation is being jammed through by Energy & Environment Secretary Ian Bowles in the waning hours of this year's legislative session. He wants a vote by the close of Wednesday, and he's putting tremendous pressure on the legislators to approve the Act.
 
A revised version of the Act was released last week. While there have been some very modest improvements, the fundamental problems remain.
 
The Act still allows wind developers to go to the state Energy Facilities Siting Board for expedited comprehensive permits regardless of decisions by local boards.
 
It still replaces state environmental laws with standards established by the EFSB - which that agency can apply or waive at its sole discretion.
 
It still eliminates almost all traditional rights of participation and appeal for communities and citizens.
 
This month's National Geographic Traveler magazine ranks the Berkshires in a tie for 7th place among 133 destinations worldwide. It extols this place for its "well-protected natural beauty," describing it as an "important area for cultural tourism in a beautiful environmental setting." Cape Cod is also on the list of top destinations.
 
All that could be lost if our ability to shape the character of our communities is stripped away by the Wind Energy Siting Reform Act.
 
Some legislators, Senator Ben Downing among them, hope to find a compromise on the Act. Respectfully, I have to say that is unrealistic. The Act's purpose is to block local opposition and fast-track wind facilities, and it's targeted at onshore areas with more wind, namely the Berkshires and the coast and islands. Several revisions of the Act have confirmed that Secretary Bowles is undeterred from using it to achieve the governor's goal of 2,000 MW of wind by 2020.
 
Please act now by contacting your legislators. They need to hear from you right away, preferably by phone, but also by email.
 
Please tell them that 1.) you oppose this Act, 2.) you want them to oppose it, and 3.) you want them to ask their colleagues to oppose it.
 
If you are in Senator Downing's district, it is particularly important that he hears from you right away. Representatives Guyer and Pignatelli have expressed their opposition to the Act, but they need to be supported with calls from you, and reminded to contact their colleagues.
 
Please also call the Senate and House leaders. Their names and numbers are below.
 
Please call Governor Patrick, too. He needs to hear your outrage at this power grab by his administration!
 
And, of course, ask all your friends to do the same.
 
Governor Deval Patrick
(888) 870-7770 - toll-free call
(617) 725-4005
 
Senate President Therese Murray
(617) 722-1500
Therese.Murray@state.ma.us 

Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo
(617) 722-2500
Robert.DeLeo@state.ma.us 

Senator Ben Downing
(413) 442-4008, (617) 722-1625
Benjamin.Downing@state.ma.us 

Representative Dan Bosley
(617) 722-2017
Rep.DanielBosley@hou.state.ma.us

Representative Denis Guyer
(413) 358-3354, (617) 722-2210
Rep.DenisGuyer@Hou.State.MA.US

Representative Smitty Pignatelli
(413) 637-0631, (617) 722-2582
Rep.Smitty@Hou.State.MA.US

Representative Chris Speranzo
(413) 447-7225, (617) 722-2396
Rep.ChristopherSperanzo@Hou.State.MA.US  
 
For the contact information of other legislators, please visit www.mass.gov/legis/ and click on House or Senate under Legislators, on the left side of the webpage.
 
If you have any questions, please email or call me at (413) 528-9363. Thank you! 

Eleanor Tillinghast
Green Berkshires, Inc.