Representative Matt Patrick is presently serving his fifth term as State Representative of the 3rd Barnstable District. He is a driving force for progressive energy policies successfully introducing and passing legislation to create energy efficiency standards for appliances, increased thresholds for net metering, virtual net metering and PACE that passed into law this session. He introduced one of the strongest all terrain vehicle regulation bills that also passed during this session. In addition, Patrick has been a leader in reforming House rules and closing corporate tax loopholes. Representative Patrick is a former Falmouth Selectman, environmental activist and the former Executive Director of the non-profit Self-Reliance Corporation, a local nonprofit dedicated to self reliance in energy, water and food.
During Mr. Patrick’s fifteen year tenure at Self-Reliance he won state contracts to operate programs that have helped more than 3,800 families and 50 non-profit organizations improve the energy efficiency of their buildings. In addition he started an oil buying cooperative. The finance programs encouraged people to invest more than 20 million in energy efficiency and the resulting savings are estimated to be 3 million dollars each year. Matt conducted the creation of the Barnstable County Energy Management Plan, a process that involved 150 citizens and numerous public hearings to produce a blueprint for Barnstable County’s future energy requirements and the Cape Cod Commission’s energy element in the regional policy plan.
While at Self-Reliance, Matt’s research and advocacy ensured that the Massachusetts Restructuring Act of 1997 included a strong Community Choice/Public Aggregation section with an opt-out and gained the ability of municipalities acting as public aggregators to recover their energy conservation program line charges enabling them to design and implement their own energy efficiency programs. Both concepts are national precedents now adopted by Ohio and California.
As a former selectman, Mr. Patrick represented the Town of Falmouth on the Cape Light Compact, the public aggregator of twenty towns on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard representing 180,000 customers that was enabled by his work on the Massachusetts Restructuring Act of 1997. He initiated the Falmouth Selectmen’s first strategic plan, writing the energy, water, transportation and nutrient loading sections. He initiated and led the effort to purchase streetlights, saving tens of thousands of dollars each year.
In 1988 Matt became co-chairman and treasurer of the Coalition for the Cape Cod Commission Act. The Coalition successfully attained passage of the strong land use Act in 1990. In 1986, as chairman of the Citizens for the Protection of Waquoit Bay he successfully formed and led a coalition of environmental and civic organizations in a campaign that convinced Massachusetts to acquire 380 acres of the Quashnet River Valley protecting it from imminent development.
Matt is a former Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Ghana, Africa from 1977 - 1979. He is married to Louise A. Patrick with whom he has two children, Mia and Sam. He lives in the Falmouth village of Waquoit in an 1820 vintage home with an apple orchard and chickens.
I've always felt that homophobic attitudes and policies were unjust and unworthy of a free society and must be opposed by all Americans who believe in democracy.Coretta Scott King
-- Coretta Scott King