Solar is a crucial renewable energy source to help in the fight against the climate emergency. But if solar panels are sited in ways that cut acres of forest, pollute aquifer water sources, or damage fragile biodiversity environments like wetlands or the Pine Barrens, then the solar produced by those panels is not a clean, green power source.

We need your help to prevent industrial profiteers from damaging the environment and giving solar a bad name! We can have clean solar power without deforestation! Local residents in many places, such as the Pine Barrens and Shutesbury, are fighting such dirty, industrial solar installations, but there is no clear legislative guidance.

Current laws regulating solar—which were developed in 1985 when industrial-scale solar did not exist—say that municipalities cannot regulate any solar unless there are public health, welfare, or safety impacts. The H.4331 bill explicitly differentiates small-scale residential solar from industrial-scale solar; allows municipalities to regulate industrial solar to protect forests and wetlands, water sources, agriculture, and such to keep the solar clean; and maintains the current restrictions on municipal regulation on residential solar.

Tell the MA Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy that we need H.4331 to allow local regulation of solar siting and to keep solar energy clean.