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Massachusetts has installed solar panels faster than almost any other state as it seeks to reduce its carbon emissions. But some activists say the stateâs transition to renewable energy has come at a cost.
âWe have big multinational solar companies coming and cutting down forests,â said Jane Winn, executive director of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team, a nonprofit in the state. âTheyâre not doing a good job of it, so theyâre allowing erosion into wetlands. Weâre trying to connect our forests so wildlife can move, and theyâre in there fragmenting it.â
Similar conflicts are cropping up across the country, as the fast-growing wind and solar industries expand into new areas, driven in some cases by state mandates and incentives. In many places, locals are pushing back, saying that forests and farmlands should not be sacrificed in the fight against climate change.
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The Daily Yonder Locals Worry Wind and Solar Will Gobble Up Forests and Farms As states work toward emission reduction goals, some people fear the externalized cost of clean energy.
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Wind towers stand on a mountaintop in Lowell, Vermont. Some locals have argued that the project, which began operation in 2012, harms wildlife corridors and watersheds. Others have said it’s essential for providing clean energy and fighting climate change. (Toby Talbot / The Associated Press)
This article is republished from Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Massachusetts has installed solar panels faster than almost any other state as it seeks to reduce its carbon emissions. But some activists say the state’s transition to renewable energy has come at a cost.
Some worry wind and solar will gobble up forests and farms
The Tobacco Valley Solar Farm in Simsbury is currently the largest in Connecticut.
Massachusetts has installed solar panels faster than almost any other state as it seeks to reduce its carbon emissions. But some activists say the state’s transition to renewable energy has come at a cost.
“We have big multinational solar companies coming and cutting down forests,” said Jane Winn, executive director of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team, a nonprofit in the state. “They’re not doing a good job of it, so they’re allowing erosion into wetlands. We’re trying to connect our forests so wildlife can move, and they’re in there fragmenting it.”