The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (CEC) today (1/13) announced grants supporting 20 new wind energy projects under the Commonwealth Wind Community-Scale Wind initiative. Among the awardees is the Town of Northborough in Worcester County. A total of 34 proposals was received.
“This grant will allow The Town of Northborough to reduce its use of fossil fuels, as well as help the Commonwealth reach Governor Patrick’s goal of developing 2,000 megawatts of wind power capacity by 2020,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles, who serves as chairman of the CEC board of directors.
The CEC board of directors approved the grants totaling more than $2.5 million. Today’s awards includes design and construction grants for six new wind projects totaling more than 12 megawatts (MW) in capacity, and 14 feasibility studies for wind energy that would total more than 13 MW in capacity if built. The Northborough grant is in the second category.
The 20 grants go to public and private projects, educational institutions, cities and towns, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The Commonwealth Wind Community-Scale Wind initiative is a program of the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, which is funded by renewable energy charges on electric bills, generating roughly $24 million a year to support renewable energy installations and companies.
“Through the Community-Scale Wind initiative, the Trust supports the installation of wind turbines for private and public institutions as well as studies to determine the feasibility of wind power in additional locations,” said Trust Director Carter Wall.
The six projects receiving design and construction grants are in the towns of Charlton, Plymouth, Brewster, Harwich, and Milton. Awards for the 14 feasibility studies go to the Town of Northborough and to Auburn, Bristol Community College, Chesterfield-Goshen Regional School District, Endicott College, the town of Gardner, Gordon College, the town of Lenox, the MBTA, Nantucket Public Schools, Spencer East Brookfield Regional School District, and the city of Salem.
[...] Town of Northborough’s proposal for a wind study grant was among the 20 accepted projects (out of a total of 34) to receive a total of $2.5m in grants from [...]
[...] Prior post on the subject, and another post on the grants [...]
I patiently await the wind committee’s first return on investment report. Various reliable data sources seem to indicate that Northborough can never produce power on a consistently profitable level. I would like to see the data readings from the test tower posted on the town web site. This project should not cost the taxpayers of this town one cent.
I agree with Alex. Only multiple wind towers could even begin to approach the ROI breakeven point. Wait until the neighbors and abutters find out where the tower/towers will be located.
I wonder if the builders of the new homes on Ball Street will let potential buyers know of the wind towers.
Alex & Seth, Maybe you should get in touch with Bob Giles who is on the committee, and try and understand a little more about the project and how it can benefit the town.
I recently learned that an acquaintence and resident of Northboro called Fran Bakstran and requested a post of the ‘tower’ readings and she indicated that they would be available at the end of the study evading his direct request for daily real time readings now that the tower is up. I really tire of this evasiveness by our Administration. The same thing was done for other projects in the past. I do hope that Fran B. reconsiders this request. On a personal note I have been reviewing windmill data from Worcester and other local governmental resources in this state, all public record as this Northborough project should be.
Chris. I have been in touch with Bob Giles multiple times, and my fundamental question still remains.
What will be the ROI? Maybe you should research the Holy Name experience.
Chris: Thanks for your response. I have sent Bob Giles an email or two and have not gotten a response as to their direction on Return on Investment. I am well aware of the benefits of windmills to a municipality. But as I have remarked, the Return on Investment should cost the town citizens zero dollars. We cannot continue on sweetheart projects which bear unnecessary costs. Need I outline a few of these for you? Need we make this an FOI Act request?
Getting back to making requests about projects where there are no responses until the end of feasability studies and such. This highlights our municipal problems where there is no transparency for the citizens from beginning to end thereby leaving the taxpayers with very little knowledge and awareness of the details of the project and its benefits or/and pitfalls. When it comes time to vote the public is asked to vote on an ill informed subject thereby leaving the final decision to an appointed committee which in essence could be wrong. There is a philosophical point of view which says that when we all think alike we all think blindly.
Chris, can you give me Bob Giles eMail address. I misplaced it during a reorganization. With it being here maybe other citizens can address further eMails to Mr. Giles.
As a follow up to my last remark to Chris Davison and Satch about requesting more transparency about the Wind Project I am enclosing Robert Giles e Mail address (Giles101@charter.net)so that other readers can have dialogue with the leader of this committee if they are so inclined to do so. Bear in mind that Fran Bakstran of the Northboro BOS is the lead town admin on this project.