To hasten switch to renewable energy, think of the lessons of WWII
Offshore wind is long overdue to become a major source of power in New England. Your
March 29 editorial, “The best chance for offshore wind in Mass.,” outlines a practical
approach for the new 800 megawatt project proposed for Southeastern Massachusetts. The
recommendation that the committee award the bid to multiple contractors to balance the
risks is sound advice.
In the meantime, all the scientific evidence points to the urgent need to switch from fossil
fuels to renewable energy to avoid catastrophic climate change. During World War II, a
similar era of challenge, the US government gave Detroit’s automakers just one month’s
notice to switch from producing civilian vehicles to military jeeps, tanks, and planes. The
auto companies had to quickly change their output to support their nation in a time of crisis.
If Chrysler, Ford, and the long-gone Hudson plants could share responsibility for those
military bids in the 1940s, surely several energy companies in Massachusetts can divide the
work for this offshore wind project.
In the end, what is needed is a swift and effective switch to renewable energy, and we all
need to do our part — politicians, regulators, corporations, and citizens.
Mary Memmott
Framingham