Rep. Matt Patrick to Offer Insight on State Energy Policy Developments;

Panel Discussion to Address Green Power Options

“Policy & Power: Going Green on Beacon Hill and at Home”

Wednesday, October 17, 7 to 9 pm

Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Bourne

Rep. Matt Patrick, energy innovator and state policymaker, is featured speaker at the October 17 meeting of the Cape & Islands Renewable Energy Collaborative (CIREC) at Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Bourne. He will provide an insider’s perspective on the status of proposed energy policies aimed at increasing reliance on renewable resources in Massachusetts. His presentation will lead in to a panel discussion on existing green power options and novel products that may become available in the future. The meeting, from 7 to 9 pm, is free and open to the public; light refreshments will be served.

“Governor Deval Patrick and the state legislature have made energy policy a priority, but the fate of net metering and other reforms needed to unlock the potential of solar, wind, and other options is not yet clear,” says Megan Amsler, executive director, Cape & Islands Self-Reliance. “This meeting will help shine some light on the legislative process, as well as highlight actions local residents can take right now to support renewable energy.”

Rep. Matt Patrick is state representative from the 3rd Barnstable District. For the 2007-08 legislative session, he filed a dozen energy-related bills, three of which have been rolled into omnibus legislation. His leadership on energy issues on Beacon Hill and Cape Cod stretches back 2 decades. As state representative, he has pushed to create energy efficiency standards, increase demand for renewable energy, and address the effects of rising energy costs. Previously, as executive director of Cape & Islands Self-Reliance and a Falmouth selectman, he helped establish locally controlled energy efficiency and aggregation programs and spurred creation of the Cape Light Compact.

The panel discussion will address green power options available from the Compact and Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance, as well as green products proposed by NStar that would be based on long-term contracts with wind energy projects in upstate New York and Maine. NStar’s approach, currently under review by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, is facing opposition from competitive power suppliers and other industry groups.

“Consumers overwhelmingly support renewable energy yet few actually enroll in green power purchasing programs, which aren’t expensive but can be confusing,” notes Chris Powicki, principal of Water Energy & Ecology Information Services. “This panel discussion will illuminate distinctions among current and proposed green power products, explore the opposition to NStar’s approach, and encourage local consumers to go green.”

The meeting will conclude with Q&A and time for conversation and networking. Information will be available on CIREC membership and on local clean energy programs and activities.

For meeting information contact Chris Powicki, 508.362.9599, chrisp@weeinfo.com. For information on other upcoming events, check out the Sustainable Energy Calendar at www.cigogreen.org.