Suit hits WindTechCo alternative energy business

By Raja Mishra, Globe Staff | March 8, 2007

The state attorney general filed suit this week against a former state representative who runs a wind turbine business, accusing him of false promotion, unsafe installation and, in some cases, failing to install the alternative energy devices.

Mark A. Howland, a Freetown Democrat on Beacon Hill from 2002 to 2004, was ordered by a judge on Tuesday to stop wind turbine sales through his firm, WindTechCo, and has had all of his bank accounts frozen as part of the case.

Consumers are increasingly seeking alternative ways to power their homes and businesses as oil prices climb and environmental concerns about fossil fuel power sources mount. "We live in a time when it is crucial that we seek out alternative energy sources," said Attorney General Martha Coakley. "It is troubling that individuals who were attempting to be more environmentally conscious were not only taken advantage of financially, but also that their safety was put at risk by this unscrupulous contractor."

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The complaint, filed late Tuesday in Fall River Superior Court, alleged that Howland's firm improperly told customers that the Mass. Technology Collaborative would automatically reimburse them for most of the cost of the turbines, which are minitowers with wind-driven spinning blades that generate electricity. The collaborative, created by lawmakers to encourage alternative energy use and scientific innovation, gives partial reimbursement to select homeowners who buy alternative energy systems.

More:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/03/08/suit_hits_alternative_energy_business/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+City%2FRegion+News

When there are crappy installers and fraudulent contractors of various alternative energy services, it's officially become main stream. LOL