September 25, 2011
Massachusetts

Committee postpones hearing on wind energy

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE, www.capecodonline.com 25 September 2011

BOSTON – The Legislature’s Committee on Telecommunication, Utilities and Energy has postponed its planned hearing Monday on land-based wind energy siting reform legislation. A committee aide said the hearing will be rescheduled because it conflicted with a Senate formal session.

On Monday, the Senate plans to begin debating expanded gambling legislation.

This is not the first time the two issues have become intertwined.

Last July, with the hours ticking down on formal meetings for the Legislature’s two-year session, the House and Senate were focused on delivering a casino-racino bill to Gov. Deval Patrick’s desk. On the night of July 31, 2010, lawmakers left a carefully crafted wind siting reform bill one Senate vote shy of the governor’s desk. In the ensuing months, Senate opponents killed the siting reform bill, blocking every attempt to enact the legislation during informal sessions.

The wind siting reform bill has generated significantly less buzz this session. But the energy committee has elected to hold two hearings on the bill and scheduled both in areas of the state where the legislation has encountered resistance.

One hearing has already been held in western Massachusetts and Monday’s hearing was planned at Cape Cod Community College.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/09/25/committee-postpones-hearing-on-wind-energy/