Are you concerned about what’s happening in your community with new solar, wind, batteries, transmission lines, substations and other renewable energy infrastructure popping up everywhere? Do you want to have a say in how Massachusetts builds out its renewable energy infrastructure?

Please take action to oppose harmful sections of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healy's closeout supplemental budget bill H.5049, “An Act Making Appropriations for the Fiscal Year 2024 to Provide tor Supplementing Certain Existing Appropriations and for Certain Other Activities and Projects.”

Sections 5-13 contain language that will take power away from local communities to permit and site renewable energy projects. If this bill passes as is, the state will have the final say over where solar, wind and aerobic digesting facilities will go — in our backyards, on top of our drinking water supplies, in our forests, on prime farmland, and in or near our wetlands.

This means no local control over “small” energy infrastructure" that are under 25 Megawatts including single projects of up to 30 or 40 acres of solar panels in clearcut forests and on prime farmland, and mountain top removal for huge onshore wind turbines. And no clear language about projects larger than these.

It means no local control over huge battery storage systems that are often placed under powerlines, on top of drinking water supplies, and in forested areas — and which are unrelated to solar or other “clean” energy.

Much of the land the facilities would be built on is in rural areas, but it is imperative that all municipalities maintain control over siting and permitting. Our towns know the best places for energy infrastructure, and know what environmental values need to be preserved.

Please sign this letter, or write your own, to ask your state representative and senator to vote to strike those sections related to energy facilities siting from H.5049, and any other future attempts by the Governor or the legislature to take away our local control.