Press Release: 9/16/2024

Fighting Back Against the Offshore Wind Boondoggle

My name is Ryan Fattman and I’m a State Senator representing southern Worcester county in the Massachusetts legislature. I am making sure you saw MassFiscal’s email from Tuesday. It’s so important organizations like MassFiscal continue to have the resources needed to advocate for common sense energy policies. Please consider making an immediate online donation of $50, $100, $250, $500, or even $1,000 at: https://www.massfiscal.org/contribute. In 2021, I voted against the climate bill that is initiating all of these extreme green mandates like more expensive offshore wind contacts and boxing out affordable and reliable natural gas and fossil fuels, which includes banning the purchase of gas powered cars and diesel trucks. And this is just the beginning of the repercussions this bill will have. In 2021, MassFiscal was there to support the bi-partisan group of lawmakers who stood up for the ratepayers and they informed the public of which lawmakers voted in favor of the bill that would have such detrimental effects on taxpayers and ratepayers in the future. More recently, in June of this year, as a Massachusetts state senator, I took another stand in support of the ratepayers by shutting down the entire state senate for several days in order to take time to read a hastily released energy bill. Legislative leaders attempted to rush through a very controversial, updated climate bill which would have allowed the state the authority to shut down natural gas hook ups at people’s homes and places of work, and would have prevented natural gas companies from repairing their own gas lines which provide our state with the majority of our power. When I shut down the state senate, my goal was to allow people more time to review what was before the legislature and stop the rush to pass a bill that I knew would put tremendous hardship on the people of Massachusetts. Luckily, that bill never passed before the legislative session came to a close. However, on Wednesday, Governor Maura Healey proposed adding parts of this extreme ideologically driven energy policy into a supplemental budget. Adding controversial policy ideas into a supplemental budget, when the two year legislative session is over, is no way to govern a state. As your voice for the ratepayers in the state senate, I will do everything in my power to make sure Governor Healey’s latest backdoor attempt is defeated. As we get closer to the colder months, ratepayers cannot afford any more price increases due to these attacks on affordable fuels like natural gas and expansion of expensive and unreliable offshore wind boondoggles. Thank you for subscribing to MassFiscal’s email list, taking an interest in state policies that ultimately affect your way of life. Please make sure to support the good work MassFiscal does by donating today! They need your help, and I need their help to continue to fight on behalf of the taxpayers and ratepayers of Massachusetts. Thank you, Senator Ryan Fattman Massachusetts State Senate Worcester & Hampden District

Michael, This week, Governors and provincial Premiers from across New England and Eastern Canada met in Boston for discussions on the region’s green energy transition and, more specifically, offshore wind. While Governor Maura Healey clearly just wanted the day to be a cheerleading session for her offshore wind boondoggle, there were just too many holes in her ill-conceived plan for MassFiscal to sit idly by. Yesterday, we hosted a press conference of our own with likeminded organizations from across New England throwing the cold water of truth on Governor Healey’s offshore wind pep rally. Among other things, we pointed out how Beacon Hill’s rapid energy transition policies are only going to make energy more expensive, our electrical grid less reliable, and will do more harm to the environment than good. You can view coverage of this press event from GBH, the Boston Herald, and the State House News Service. When Governor Healey and others say that offshore wind is going to lower our electrical bills, it’s an outright lie. Its such a Pinocchio sized lie, that even as of today, the Governor has not disclosed how much the latest offshore wind contract will cost the ratepayers of Massachusetts. It’s our job to call her out at every opportunity on behalf of the taxpayers subsidizing these massive foreign wind projects, and for ratepayers who will be on the hook for the new rates. After our press conference, MassFiscal visited the State House to hand deliver offshore wind blade debris to Governor Healey, Speaker Ron Mariano, Senate President Karen Spilka, Minority Leaders Bruce Tarr, and Brad Jones. We packed up chunks of fiberglass and Styrofoam that have wash up on the shores of Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and Cape Cod into plastic bags, included protective gloves, and a note from MassFiscal calling on State House leaders to hold this industry accountable for the people of MA.  We created a video of our day, you may view that video by clicking here.   These offshore wind factories will have a negligible effect on global emissions, will greatly harm critically endangered marine wildlife and their habitat, and have already littered debris into the waters surrounding our state. The only thing green about them is the massive amount of cash that taxpaying ratepayers of Massachusetts are about to shell out to subsidize their construction, transmission, and operation for generations to come. Regards, Paul Gangi Program Director Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance