Governor’s misguided wind policy
The Berkshire Eagle | www.berkshireeagle.com 27 July 2012
I have met Governor Patrick on a few occasions and think he is a thoughtful, smart man. That’s why it puzzles me that he is dismissive of the concerns of people in our commonwealth in favor of big corporate energy interests.
The issues around renewable energy are complex. What isn’t complex is our need to do something. We have to. But the more time and treasure we waste on alternative energy that does not work, the more damage we continue to do to our precious environment.
The fact is that Massahusetts does not have the onshore wind resource to make ridgeline wind the smart renewable choice. Visit The National Renewable Energy Lab’s wind resource map. The most wind is offshore and in the middle of the country but not on the ridges of Berkshire county. Governor Patrick refuses to acknowledge this. He wants you to believe that concerned citizens who oppose his plan for industrial Berkshire wind want turbines in other communities in Massachusetts just not theirs. Not true.
Industrial wind does not be long in any community on shore because it isn’t smart alternative energy for our region. The fact is people get sick living next to large scale wind turbines, something we are seeing all over the North east and the world. Governor Patrick refuses to acknowledge this. He even went as far as engaging in junk science to further his wind agenda to the outrage of many.
If the governor truly believes that wind is critical to Massachusetts and does not harm citizens then why doesn’t he call for a “real” independent science and health study at MIT and Harvard? Why is he renewing his PR blitz to try and gain momentum with the Wind Energy Siting Reform Act (WESRA) when so many residents and legislators including Smitty Pignatelli, Ben Down ing and Senate President Ther ese Murray have said no way, not good for Massachusetts? WESRA favors corporate energy interests not people and undermines our local control.
I would suggest to Governor Patrick that he reorient his energy policy around conservation and the expansion of residential and responsibly sited municipal solar instead of trying to continually force his misguided wind policy down our throats.
CYNTHIA WICK
Lenox
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/07/27/governors-misguided-wind-policy/