Cape & Islands Energy Information Clearinghouse

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Content Guide

Civic Participation Guide

2008 Voting Energy Candidate Forum

2006 Voting Energy Survey

In 2006, incumbents and challengers for local, regional, and state office were surveyed to inform the "Beyond Cape Wind" stakeholder process. Click here to view their opinions.

Cape & Islands residents and visitors make important decisions about energy supply and use at home, in the store, at the dealer, at work, and in other settings. However, it is the decisions made by town, county, state, and federal officials that will largely determine how rapidly local communities transition to a sustainable energy future.

You can inform and influence these decisions. The voting booth, town meeting, public hearings, newspapers, other forums, and direct communications with elected and appointed officials and additional government personnel all provide opportunities for voicing opinions about energy issues.

Civic participation is easy: Register to vote. Research the issues. Follow the news. Ask questions. Write letters. Make phone calls. Support advocacy groups. Attend council and agency hearings. Participate in town meeting. Know the candidates. Vote. Citizens that don't exercise their rights forgo opportunities to make a difference in energy-related decision-making processes. Click on the links below for information designed to facilitate civic participation:

Federal Representatives & Agencies Federal Representatives & Agencies
Those who don't have the ability to influence what goes on behind closed doors in Washington still have the opportunity to vote on who lives in the White House and, thus, to determine who's "in the room" when critical energy policy decisions are made. It's also possible to offer criticism or plaudits on energy issues such as air and water quality standards, dependence on foreign oil, development of offshore energy sources, research and development priorities, fuel efficiency standards for vehicles, the war in Iraq, and climate change science and policy. Delivering comments to the President may not have any practical effect, but it is a right not to be ignored (and it may prove therapeutic).

Those who represent the interests of local communities in the U.S. Congress are a little more approachable - if you write to these officials or call their offices, your opinions on specific issues will be registered and may even be heard. (Comments delivered by email or fax will arrive much faster, as regular mail is delayed greatly due to security concerns.) Senators and congressmen also periodically appear at events in local communities, which may give you an opportunity for a direct exchange of ideas.

In general, the executive and legislative branches establish overarching principles, policies and budgets relating to energy supply and use, but it is largely up to federal agencies to interpret and implement them. Numerous agencies play important roles.

Use the links below to learn more about energy-related beliefs, policies, and programs at the federal level. Use the contact information to register your opinions.

Key Federal Agencies

Department of Energy

Department of Interior

Department of State

Environmental Protection Agency

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

State Officials & Agencies
The individual who currently holds the highest office in the state is certainly far more interested in promoting clean energy than his predecessor. State senators and representatives also are in office to protect the interests of their constituents, at least in theory. None of these officials can serve your interests if you don't express them via phone, fax, email, or mail. Several state representatives have regular office hours withing their districts, while all of these officials appear at events in local communities, creating opportunities for personal interaction. Call their offices to find out when they might be available.

A few key state agencies involved in energy-related decision-making also are highlighted below.

Use the links below to learn more about energy-related beliefs, policies, and programs at the state level. Use the contact information to register your opinions.

Key State Agencies

Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs

Department of Public Utilities

Division of Energy Resources

Department of Environmental Protection

Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust

Massachusetts Technology Collaborative

Barnstable County Officials & Agencies

County Commissioners - website

The three Barnstable County Commissioners are elected at large and serve four-year staggered terms. Responsibilities include direction of county agencies, preparation of budgets for submission to the Assembly, care of county property and finances, proposing ordinances to the Assembly, and appointment of the County Administrator.

These individuals represent Barnstable County's executive branch, helping establish strategic priorities and goals as well as supervising the Cape Cod Commission, Cape Light Compact, and other key agencies. The Commissioners signed the U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement but have not taken formal action consistent with its tenets. They also have signed on to the Cape Cod Renewable Fuels Partnership.

• Sheila Lyons , Chair
• Mary Pat Flynn , Vice-Chair
• William (Bill) Doherty, Commissioner

Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates - website

Cape Cod Commission - website

• Regional Policy Plan (RPP): The RPP sets out goals, policies, and performance standards relating to resource protection, land use, and development/redevelopment activities within Barnstable County. At present, the Commission is updating the 2002 version of the RPP; click here for general information on the RPP and the updating process. Attendees at a February 2006 stakeholder workshop, including Commission staff, concluded that the current RPP's "Energy" element requires a comprehensive rewrite. Click here for an analysis of energy-related policy and planning issues associated with the RPP updating process.
  
  
• Transportation Planning: The Commission coordinates transportation planning activities with federal, state, regional, and local agencies. Click here to visit the website maintained by the Commission's transportation program.
  
  
• Developments of Regional Impact (DRIs): The Commission reviews DRIs (currently projects exceeding 10,000 sq ft or meeting other criteria) for consistency with the RPP and its minimum performance standards. The 2002 RPP's standards largely do not account for the effects of energy supply and use practices on resource protection - or the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy.
  
  
• Technical Services: Most energy-related planning services address transportation planning and traffic management. Also, the Cape Cod Renewable Fuels Partnership is coordinated by Commission staff.

The Commission's decisions are made by staff and by a board of appointed officials, including one from each town on Cape Cod. No staff member is formally designated as an "energy lead," but the Commission has a substantial transportation department, as well as other departments that address issues such as water quality, air quality, climate change, affordable housing, and economic development. You can call or write staff if you have specific questions about the Commission's planning and regulatory activities and technical services. For staff areas of responsibility and contact information, click here.

If you would like to voice opinions on energy-related issues, your town's representative to the Commission is answerable directly to you; contact your representative by calling your town's offices. You can also attend Commission meetings; click here for schedule information.

Cape Cod Commission - Members and Representatives

Cape Cod Economic Development Council (EDC) website

The Cape Cod Economic Development Council (EDC) is an agency of Barnstable County consisting of 14 Council Members. Council membership includes 11 private sector members representing various segments of the Cape's economy (appointed by the county commissioners) and one representative each from the Barnstable County Commmissioners, the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates, and the Cape Cod Commissio

The EDC administers a portion of the revenues generated through the sale of Cape & Islands license plates, awarding grants to support economic development within Barnstable County. In recent years, it has provided funding to support renewable energy education and workforce training activities, as well as incipient efforts to transform local markets on behalf of green building and clean energy technologies. It was lead sponsor of the "Shaping Cape Cod's Energy Future" Conference held in September 2005, it acknowledged the need for collaborative follow-on efforts to develop a regional energy strategy, and it has made progress in promoting a clean energy cluster. The EDC consists of a board of appointed community leaders staffed by a full-time administrator.

Visit the EDC's website for more information.

Cape Light Compact: see information below

Department of Health & the Environment - website
The Department provides public and environmental health services to local communities. Its objectives are to protect the public from air and water pollution, including a variety of problems relating to energy.

Dukes County Officials & Agencies website

County Commissioners

Martha's Vineyard Commission - website

Martha's Vineyard Commission Members are available at this website

Nantucket County Officials & Agencies website

Nantucket County Commissioners/Town Selectmen

Nantucket Energy Study Committee Members

Regional/Local Decision-Makers: Cape Light Compact - website

The Compact is an intergovernmental agency formed to represent the interests of local electricity consumers. It bands together residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal consumers on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. Each town, as well as Barnstable County and Dukes County, is represented on the Compact Governing Board by an appointed official. The Governing Board and the Compact's staff make policy and program decisions relating to consumer aggregation, energy efficiency, power supply purchasing, renewable energy development, energy education, and other topics.

Currently, the Compact affects your electricity bill in two ways:

1. Efficiency: Each month, a very small portion of your bill flows to the Compact to support local energy efficiency programs (the energy conservation tariff itemized on p. 1 of your bill). You can recoup this fee many times over by securing an energy audit, following through on its recommendations, and taking advantage of rebates and other incentives for increasing efficiency.
   
   
2. Power Supply: Each month, more than 50% of your bill"the power supply charges itemized on p. 2"is attributable to a deal negotiated between Compact officials and a competitive supplier, ConEdison Solutions. Right now, you can get the best deal on "boutique green" products in the state from the Compact. (For information on current supply options, visit the Tips for Choosing a Power Supplier page.) For the future, the Compact - or a complementary organization, such as a locally controlled energy cooperative - represents the entity with the greatest potential for ensuring that local consumers gain maximum benefit from renewable energy produced in the Cape & Islands region.

You can call or write staff if you have specific questions about the Compact's operations, programs, and products and services. If you would like to voice opinions on electricity-related issues, your town's Governing Board representative is answerable directly to you; you can reach your representative via the email address below or by calling your town's offices. You can also attend Governing Board meetings, generally held on the second Wednesday of each month. Each meeting begins with a public comment period, giving you the opportunity to address the entire Governing Board.

Staff

Town Representatives

Local Officials & Agencies
Information on energy-related decision-making processes in individual Cape & Islands communities ultimately will be available via the Community Snapshots page. For now, use the links below to visit your town's homepage, to see if it has an energy committee, and to figure out to whom you should direct your opinions on energy issues. To see what your town is doing to harness wind resources within its borders, visit the Community Wind page.

This page was last updated Sunday, February 22, 2009