Boston, MA – Today EnvironmentMassachusetts advocates delivered more than 1500 postcards from residentsacross the Commonwealth to several state Representatives. The postcards call on the legislature to takeincentives for coal out of the energy bill currently being debated.
Incentives for energy generation from coal have been acontentious part of the energy bill since the House passed the Green Communities Act lastNovember. In January, the Senate passed An Act to Generate Renewable Energy and EfficiencyNow, which also includes public incentives for coal technologies. The Senate version, however, requires eligiblecoal technologies to meet the same carbon emissions rate of a new, natural gas-firedpower plant, whereas the House version does not.
“Coal represents our energy past,” said Diana Connett,energy associate with Environment Massachusetts. “We should not use ratepayer money to promoteenergy generation from coal but should instead invest in clean, homegrownresources, like wind and solar power, which will propel Massachusetts into the 21st century clean energy economy.”
The House and Senate-passed energy bills are now beingdebated in Conference Committee, where delegates appointed by Speaker DiMasiand Senate President Murray will finalize a single energy bill. The bill is expected to be released in thecoming weeks.
“Both the House and Senate bills stand to revolutionize theway we produce and use energy in Massachusettsby putting energy efficiency and renewable power at the heart of new energypolicy,” added Connett. “While we areexcited to see a visionary energy bill finalized, we don’t want to see specialinterests carve out a demand for coal into the future of our state. We are calling on all members of thelegislature to make sure that valuable ratepayer incentives don’t go to powersources, like coal technologies, that increase net global warming pollution.”
Massachusetts hasseen similar outcry to today’s anti-coal postcard delivery this month. Last week, SouthCoast residents held a public hearingto protest a recent state decision allowing one of Massachusetts’last coal fired power plants, NRG’s Somerset Station in Fall River, MA,to employ experimental coal plasma gasification technology, despite a previouspermit agreement that committed the plant to either cleaning up its emissionsor shutting down.
“Our legislators have put Massachusetts on the path to a new energyfuture with the energy bills passed in the House and Senate. But the give-aways to coal power withoutsufficient emissions standards threaten to detract from the gains we’ve made inaddressing global warming and the potential gains in efficiency and renewablepower set forth in the energy bills,” concluded Connett.
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