Mass Power Forward coalition launched
100+ Environmental Organizations, Faith & Economic Justice Groups and Small Businesses Launch Coordinated Campaign to Fight for Clean Energy
On Wednesday, more than 100 environmental organizations, faith and economic justice groups, and clean energy businesses joined forces to launch Mass Power Forward, a brand-new statewide coalition that will provide a united front for advocates calling for a just transition to clean energy. The coalition kicked off today with simultaneous press conferences in Weymouth, Boston, Holyoke, Pittsfield, West Peabody and Fall River.
The Mass Power Forward coalition will fight polluting energy infrastructure and advocate for clean energy all over the Commonwealth, including at the State House, where state representatives are currently considering several important energy bills. A major legislative hearing on energy is scheduled for September 29.
Over 100 groups have endorsed the Mass Power Forward platform, which calls for energy policy that:
1. Advances Massachusetts toward a safer and healthier economy powered by local, clean, renewable sources, maximizing energy efficiency, responsibly sited solar, wind on and off-shore and energy storage and keeping us on track to reduce our climate change pollution by no less than 80% by 2050;
2. Reduces our dependence on polluting energy sources such as coal, oil, gas and nuclear, and frees our power grid from imported fuels, volatile markets and dangerous power generation facilities;
3. Prioritizes neighborhoods, families and our public lands over utility monopolies and the polluting energy industry; and prohibits public subsidies for gas pipelines or other new fossil fuel infrastructure;
4. Modernizes our power grid and empowers everyday people to access locally generated power;
5. Assists workers and communities with retiring power plants to participate in the benefits of the green economy and clean energy transition.
Media coverage of the coalition launch can be found here, here, here and here.
