The Massachusetts Senate just approved legislation that strips communities of local control over industrial solar, onshore wind turbines, and large-scale battery storage. S.2838 is a radical overhaul of permits for all energy facilities. The State House of Representatives is about to vote for virtually the same legislation. To meet our state’s clean energy goals, we will need 60,000 acres of solar arrays, and potentially double that, by 2050. This State House legislation is directed at our western counties, where land is cheapest. Government officials know that once citizens start seeing vast solar buildouts, ridgeline wind turbines, and huge battery-storage facilities, there will be furious protests throughout our region. So, for energy projects 25 megawatts or larger, all decisions will be made by a single state agency. The host town government will be able to submit comments, or rack up legal bills trying to protest within a system stacked against it. That’s it. For projects smaller than 25 megawatts, all local permits will be consolidated into one application, to be reviewed and approved by the town using standards set by the state. Appeals will only be to that single state agency, and only from applicants or parties that are “substantially and specifically affected,” meaning virtually nobody. Supporting clean energy shouldn’t cost our home-rule rights. The House vote is imminent. Please call your state representative now and say “vote NO to less local control.” If you want to find your representative, click here, and scroll to the box below the map: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator.

Eleanor Tillinghast, Green Berkshires, Inc.

Great Barrington