I'll say this for Deval Patrick, he's got a great rapid response team. This morning's Boston Globe reported that Governor Mitt Romney wants to relax polution limits on our state's power plants. It's a plan that could potentially lower energy prices this winter, but would also increase air pollution from power plants in Everett, Salem, Somerset, and a handful of smaller units in the state.
A few short hours later, Team Patrick released this statement:
"Years of lack of leadership on energy issues have now come home to roost," Patrick said. "Instead of pushing for clean, renewable energy solutions over the past few years, and for comprehensive conservation and efficiency programs, Gov. Romney is now proposing to pollute more as a way out of an energy crisis."Patrick went on to criticize the Governor for his continued opposition to the Cape Wind Farm project -- something that Patrick recently announced his support for -- and outline his new energy plan.
"The rest of us are paying for his short-sightedness," he added.
Frankly, I can see the appeal of the Romney plan in the short term. Worried about energy? Well, just produce more! Deceptively simple. Still, what happens next winter when oil prices still haven't gone down? (and who really thinks they will?) Patrick is right in that what this state and this nation have lacked in recent years is a long-term strategy to deal with energy costs. He's now talking about not only encouraging energy conservation in consumers but also encouraging producers to develop alternative energy sources. Now, it remains to be seen whether he or any governor can achieve this, but what's clear is that we're not going to get any leadership on the Federal level on energy issues for the next several years, so at the very least it's good that Patrick is trying to start a discussion here in Massachusetts.
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