Contact Your Public Official

• Dominion is a large energy company making increasingly large profits. Its Brayton Point power plant is the biggest polluter of carbon dioxide of all 188 power plants in the Northeast. Shouldn’t Dominion be a leader on global warming? Or at least stop their attempts to block progress in addressing the climate crisis?
  
• Dominion lobbyists worked to block global warming legislation in Massachusetts last year that would have required pollution reductions from Massachusetts power plants. While they were busy undermining good bills in the Legislature, huge corporate profits were flowing to Dominion’s corporate headquarters in Virginia.
  
• Reports from the Pentagon experts say that global warming is one of the biggest national security issues we face. Why is Dominion, with estimated profits this year topping $2 billion, allowed to cry poverty while opposing requirements to pay for pollution permits?
  
• Governor Patrick has joined regional efforts to reduce global warming pollution from power plants (known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI). Dominion is opposing a critical part of the proposal which would require them to purchase pollution permits at auction, rather than receive free permits which is Dominion’s goal. The revenue from those permits should be directed to energy efficiency programs and other measures that reduce electric bills for consumers – not into Dominion’s out-of-state pockets.
  
• The Brayton Point power plant is a major moneymaker for Dominion. It is not in any danger of closing, and the taxes Somerset gets from the plant are secure. RGGI calls for modest reductions in global warming pollution and doesn’t threaten the operation of Brayton Point.. As the single biggest industrial source of global warming pollution in the region, it should be held to a high standard of clean up.
  
• Dominion is investing millions of dollars in pollution control equipment at Brayton Point because they know Brayton Point is going to be making them money for a long time. And since the plant is here to stay, they should be a good neighbor and not continue to fight its cleanup on multiple fronts.
  
• Global warming is a massive challenge facing us and our children, and we must be sure that we are making real reductions in global warming pollution. The biggest polluters must make the biggest reductions in pollution. In the Northeast, this means that Dominion needs to clean up their act.
  
• Along with the rest of the region, our state government has made climate protection commitments – to reduce global warming to 1990 levels by 2010, 10% below 1990 levels by 2020, and 75-85% in the long run. Our state will not be able to meet its climate protection goals without effectively tackling power plant pollution. And Dominion, as the owner of two of the biggest sources of global warming pollution, should redirect its corporate might to reducing its climate footprint instead of blocking progress and innovation.
  
• If gone unchecked, global warming threatens New England’s foliage, coastline, lobster catch, and winter recreation – some of the defining characteristics of our region. We, and the corporations operating here, must reduce our global warming emissions to levels that scientists say are necessary just to avoid the worst impacts of global warming – 80% reductions by 2050.
  
• Significant amounts of the coal burned at some of Dominion’s power plants come from foreign coal mines in places like Colombia with atrocious human rights records. Why isn’t Dominion supporting energy independence, energy efficiency, and investment in clean energy here in Massachusetts?
  
• According to the most recent report from the federal government on toxic releases, Salem Harbor Station and the Brayton Point power plant together emitted more than two million pounds of toxic chemicals in 2005 alone. They are the two largest emitters of toxic chemicals in Massachusetts. Is that the kind of neighbor we want?
  
• Dominion owes it to Massachusetts to be a good neighbor, and owes it to our country to be a leader in addressing global warming.