Boston, MA – March 11, 2010 – The Committee For A Clean Economy, a statewide consortium of organizations promoting renewable energy, today announced it has formed a coalition to educate the public on a proposed ballot initiative that would be harmful to the Commonwealth’s growing clean energy industry. 

The proposed initiative would stifle many existing and promising technologies from participating in Massachusetts’ Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and thus will have detrimental consequences to the Commonwealth.

“As a coalition, we oppose the ballot proposal because it will arbitrarily eliminate many sources of renewable energy and will potentially cost thousands of Massachusetts jobs,” said Matthew Wolfe, Chairman of the Committee For A Clean Economy and Principal of Madera Energy.  “If passed into law, the proposal will curtail the development of advanced, clean renewable technologies, making it extremely difficult for Massachusetts to achieve its renewable energy goals.”  

“Now is not the time to shut the door on good paying jobs,” said Joseph Bonfiglio, Business Manager of The Massachusetts Laborers' District Council.  “Our organization along with the other members of the Mass Building Trades oppose the ballot proposal as it will inhibit the growth of clean, renewable energy projects and could prevent thousands of potential jobs in the Commonwealth.”

The proposed language, slated to appear on a statewide ballot on November 2, 2010, will require biomass, waste-to-energy, anaerobic digestion, bio-fuel, and advanced gasification power plants to emit no more than 250 pounds of CO2 per megawatt-hour in order to qualify as a renewable energy or alternative energy under the state's RPS.

“As currently written, the ballot petition places unreasonable restrictions on the development of green energy projects,” said Edward Esko, Founder of Berkshire Green Energy located in Pittsfield, MA. 

“As a citizen of the Commonwealth and founder of an innovative company working to develop micro-algae as a source of biofuels to help lower fuel costs for farmers throughout the region, I am strongly opposed to the ballot petition.  If passed, it would severely impact the ability to advance innovative cleantech projects such as our biofuel technology that is dedicated to helping Massachusetts farmers gain energy independence.”