November 14, 2011 | 11:31 AM | By

Notes from the field

FILED UNDER: Mitigation, solar power, wind energy

Heather Goldstone / WCAI

Two quick notes …

1. A couple of readers have commented that I missed a crucial element in my post last week about the appearance – and disappearance – of signs calling for the shutdown of Falmouth’s town-owned wind turbines. Apparently, signs were stolen during town meeting.

From Terri Drummey:

The signs were stolen from all over town DURING the Falmouth town meeting. After DPW closed for the evening and before early morning.

Sue Hobart adds:

The signs were indeed picked up during town meeting … we saved what we could because yes… we  will need them again … Plus we neighbors spent big bucks defending ourselves and nothing is over yet!

And, on a different note …

National Grid

A large solar array is under construction next to the natural gas tank in Dorchester, MA.

2. While on his way into Boston this morning, my husband texted me (he was on the bus, not driving, btw) that he’d just seen a “big solar array next to the National Grid gas tank in Dorchester.” A quick web search reveals it’s one of six solar projects National Grid has built in Massachusetts; the other five are already online. When complete, the Dorchester array will cover more than 6 acres and is expected to produce some 1600 Megawatt hours of power. On the conspicuous and possibly ironic location directly adjacent to an icon of fossil fuel usage, the National Grid website says:

The Dorchester project will be located in a prominent location in Greater Boston, next to the famous multicolored liquefied natural gas tank (LNG). This was formerly a manufactured gas plant site, and as a result the land is contaminated and has limited reuse capability, making it ideal for a solar project. The panels will be easily seen from Route I-93, showing Boston as a city that is serious about its renewable energy goals. This is the largest of our planned upcoming projects.

Got news from your neck of the woods? Send it my way!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1649330277 Mark J Cool

    Re: JULY 12 –   Senate President Therese M. Murray (D – Plymouth) stressed that the state is looking into address the proper siting and operation of wind turbines in relation to residential areas at the Falmouth Wind Information Meeting sponsored by Selectmen. “Your health and well-being are of utmost importance to us,” she said.  Murray’s words can be put into action.  Would she act as the catalyst for negotiations between Falmouth officials and the MMR for the relocation of the two municipal turbines?  

    Below is an FAA link. The 3 ‘case numbers’ are sites approved by the FAA for industrial sized turbines. One turbine – 1.5 MW – already exists. It’s located near the corner of Hwy151 & RT28. The other two are sites available for development. Seems an option to relocate indeed exists and will allow Falmouth a Fiscal benefit!  Pay the MMR a 5-7.5% residual property use fee and the other 90% is clean savings that doesn’t harm residents. 
    https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=showSearchArchivesForm

    - 2009-WTE-6024-OE Falmouth MA (Mass Military Reservation #13)
    DETERMINATION OF NO HAZARD TO AIR NAVIGATION 41° 45′ 37.32″ N
    70° 33′ 24.29″ W
    - 2009-WTE-6025-OE
    Falmouth MA (Mass Military Reservation #14)
    DETERMINATION OF NO HAZARD TO AIR NAVIGATION 41° 45′ 44.34″ N
    70° 32′ 49.67″ W
    - 2009-WTE-6026-OE
    Falmouth MA (Mass Military Reservation #15)
    DETERMINATION OF NO HAZARD TO AIR NAVIGATION 41° 45′ 37.25″ N
    70° 32′ 45.39″ W

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1649330277 Mark J Cool

    Re: JULY 12 –   Senate President Therese M. Murray (D – Plymouth) stressed that the state is looking into address the proper siting and operation of wind turbines in relation to residential areas at the Falmouth Wind Information Meeting sponsored by Selectmen. “Your health and well-being are of utmost importance to us,” she said.  Murray’s words can be put into action.  Would she act as the catalyst for negotiations between Falmouth officials and the MMR for the relocation of the two municipal turbines?  

    Below is an FAA link. The 3 ‘case numbers’ are sites approved by the FAA for industrial sized turbines. One turbine – 1.5 MW – already exists. It’s located near the corner of Hwy151 & RT28. The other two are sites available for development. Seems an option to relocate indeed exists and will allow Falmouth a Fiscal benefit!  Pay the MMR a 5-7.5% residual property use fee and the other 90% is clean savings that doesn’t harm residents. 
    https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=showSearchArchivesForm

    - 2009-WTE-6024-OE Falmouth MA (Mass Military Reservation #13)
    DETERMINATION OF NO HAZARD TO AIR NAVIGATION 41° 45′ 37.32″ N
    70° 33′ 24.29″ W
    - 2009-WTE-6025-OE
    Falmouth MA (Mass Military Reservation #14)
    DETERMINATION OF NO HAZARD TO AIR NAVIGATION 41° 45′ 44.34″ N
    70° 32′ 49.67″ W
    - 2009-WTE-6026-OE
    Falmouth MA (Mass Military Reservation #15)
    DETERMINATION OF NO HAZARD TO AIR NAVIGATION 41° 45′ 37.25″ N
    70° 32′ 45.39″ W

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1649330277 Mark J Cool

    Of the five mitigation options concerning the Falmouth municipal turbine controversy on the table; Doing nothing, curtailing operations, and modifying homes are conveniently dead after the tenor of town meeting and action of the board of selectmen.  

    The Selectmen’s motion has catapulted the turbine issue beyond the board of health and health agent, and squarely into the arena of the citizen’s health and well being. (though addressing municipal turbines, the action has put into the cross-hairs the webb machine.  Neither webb  or wind I knows, nor cares who it belongs to while it churns out it’s damage)    

    ‘Doing nothing’ is seemingly what Falmouth officials have been doing since this past summer’s Wind Info Meetings.  Town meeting members signaled their frustration the first night and grumbled a call for action.  Last winter’s ‘Curtailing’ was a symbolic gesture and much appreciated, but people have still gotten and will continue to get sick.  ‘Modifying homes’ does nothing to remediate the pollution imposed while on the lawns and forests of private properties.  

    Moving the turbines to the MMR seems the best option (for the public’s physical and fiscal health) and certainly more viable than total decommissioning and the waste of $11M.  Who in town hall will be pro-active on this solution?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1649330277 Mark J Cool

    ALERT – those interested in the CapeWind status after the court appeal upholding the allegation of the wind farm would be a hazard to aviation. 
    As a condition imposed by the US department of the Interior via the FAA, radar coverage satisfaction must be proven to safety criteria minimums before installation of turbines. Commencing last week FAA technicians have been update the current FAA cape approach radar systems. The upgrade digitization was expected to be complete in 8 hours. To date (5 days after upgrade patch began) the digitizing patch appears not to be adapting properly. Meaning.. It’s not working.. Further meaning.. There’s a huge obstacle preventing CapeWinds progress. Stay-tune

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1649330277 Mark J Cool

    ALERT – those interested in the CapeWind status after the court appeal upholding the allegation of the wind farm would be a hazard to aviation. 
    As a condition imposed by the US department of the Interior via the FAA, radar coverage satisfaction must be proven to safety criteria minimums before installation of turbines. Commencing last week FAA technicians have been update the current FAA cape approach radar systems. The upgrade digitization was expected to be complete in 8 hours. To date (5 days after upgrade patch began) the digitizing patch appears not to be adapting properly. Meaning.. It’s not working.. Further meaning.. There’s a huge obstacle preventing CapeWinds progress. Stay-tune