From:                                         Carol Lewis <curiouscarol@gmail.com>

Sent:                                           Tuesday, May 28, 2019 8:01 PM

To:                                               RPS, DOER (ENE)

Subject:                                     Testimony of the proposed PRS changes

 

Please accept this testimony (also delivered verbally at the May 16 hearing in Amherst MA)

TO: John Wassam, and the members of MA Department of Energy 

FROM: Carol Lewis, Amherst, MA

DATE: May 28, 2019

SUBJECT: Re: Proposed Changes to the RPS

 

The 2012 Massachusetts RPS biomass rules are science based and recognize that burning trees for energy increases rather than reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed changes, which ignore that science, would betray Governor Baker's claim to support the Paris Climate Change Agreement and would negatively impact Massachusetts ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as required by the Global Warming Solutions Act. Among the negative impacts are:

 

  • Elimination of efficiency criteria for biomass power plants and allowing the burning of broadly defined categories of “salvage” wood and residues.
  • Treatment of liquid bio fuels as having zero emissions, abandoning the MA protocol for counting CO2 emissions from these fuels.
  • Elimination of all the Massachusetts-specific forest harvesting criteria that were designed to protect forests, maintain soil fertility, and protect from over harvesting,
  • Would allow the 35 megawatt Palmer Renewable Energy biomass plant to be constructed in East Springfield adding more pollution to an already overburdened environmental justice community. Springfield was named “Asthma Capital” of the US in 2018 by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

 

Biomass plants that would be allowed under the proposed and weakened guidelines is contrary to Mass green energy needs and irresponsible of government to allow – that such plants would also qualify for renewable energy credits is criminal.

 

Respectfully

 

--

Carol Lewis
21 Ward
Amherst, MA 01002
413-253-7675
413-687-3469 (cell)