Massachusetts House Speaker Pro Tempore, Somerset Representative Patricia Haddad and Senate Majority Whip, Westport's Michael Rodriques will spend three days next week in England learning about the offshore wind industry.  Haddad and Rodriques are largely responsible for the comprehensive energy bill signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker in June.

Supporters say wind will play a major role in the state's move towards renewable energy sources and away from fossil fuel dependency down the road but not much thought has been given to the here and now.  Federal pressure has lead to the shuttering of coal-fired generating plants and the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant  will soon go off line.  What do we do to provide ratepayers with abundant and affordable energy in the interim?  No one seems to have an answer to that question.

Green energy lobbyists control the politicians and do not want to see additional natural gas pipelines or storage facilities constructed in Massachusetts.  There is huge opposition to additional LNG storage. The bottom line is that there is no plan and that means consumers can expect to pay dearly for energy, particularly during the cold winter months.

The Obama Administration and the politicians on Beacon Hill were wrong to leave Massachusetts ratepayers vulnerable to what are anticipated to be sharp rate hikes.  It is irresponsible to gut the current system without something in it's place to ensure the flow of energy to Massachusetts at rates that the consumer can afford.

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