The Bay State’s Next Energy Chapter Starts Now

Tomorrow, I will take one of my favorite walks, across Boston Common and up the steps of the State House, breathing deep to soak in every last drop of that fleeting smell of early fall in New England.

September 29^th is a big day for my home state. It’s the kickoff what the Boston Globe is calling an “energy showdown” – the formal beginning of a public conversation about what our energy future will look like. Demonstrated by the 11 bills on tomorrow’s agenda, the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy has a lot to consider.

The message I will be bringing: Now is the moment for offshore wind power. As our largest untapped clean energy opportunity, offshore wind power is a solution that matches the scale of our challenges. The responsible development of federally designated Wind Energy Areas far offshore is integral to stabilizing our energy rates, localizing our power supply, creating high-quality jobs, and protecting wildlife and future generations from the dangers of climate change.

The National Wildlife Federation has long been committed to advancing Atlantic offshore wind power and ensuring strict wildlife and habitat protections will be in place every step of the way. We celebrated the ground-breaking of the nation’s first offshore wind power project in Rhode Island earlier this year, and we are determined to help make this the start of something big.

Massachusetts is poised to raise the bar and time is of the essence. An area designated for wind energy development, over 12 miles off the southeast shore of Massachusetts, is capable of providing an abundance of pollution-free power right when and where we need it most. But since the opportunity sits in federal waters, its energy and the economic opportunities it offers will go to whichever state acts fastest.

Energy choices – whether good or bad – affect their surrounding communities and environment for decades or longer. They affect the economic prosperity of a region, the job market, and local air and water quality for generations to come. The retirement of several fossil fuel-fired power plants in New England, layered with the urgency of climate change and notoriously high electric rates in Massachusetts, presents an opportunity to choose a better path forward for the Commonwealth. Offshore wind power has a major role to play in making that better, cleaner energy path an enduring reality.

Add Your Voice!

Tomorrow, I’ll be addressing our decision makers in person. Please add your name to the message I’ll be delivering by clicking the action button below and sending a note to your elected officials on Beacon Hill, telling them that offshore wind power is an essential component of a responsible energy strategy for Massachusetts.

The Bay State’s next energy chapter starts now – let’s write it together!