HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008 Jan 17 - The Register Article: "Small-scale alternative energy projects gain momentum"author
sees
lore of
D same
3y John Basile
basile@cnc.com
Williams, co-author with
hitcomb of "Cape Wind:
Class, Politics and the
our Energy Future on
Sound," has moved on to
aalistic projects, but she
to watch developments
to Cape Wind.
as says Cape Wind's sup-
)uld not make too much of
k's generally favorable
)m the federal Minerals
ent Service.
have to be careful to
at this isn't a particularly
stone; it's not a thumbs -up
Wind," Williams said.
onents will put forward a
f points they want to see
ed."
as' book, published last
trayed many Cape Wind
s as the moneyed elite
cemed with their view of
t Sound than the country's
Beds. Williams said she
,nded to write a pro -Cape
)k, but in researching the
ime to some conclusions.
[Cape Wind opponents]
aake offshore wind unaf-
This is really about the old
ng to stop the new guard,"
said, adding that "it's not
ent" that Glenn Wattley,
ecutive officer of the
to Protect Nantucket
)mes from the fossil -fuel
as noted that in a year
be a new administration in
to House and possible
n Congress, which could
ieir (Alliance) advantage.
)pponents will play the
cards. Their goal is not
y to stop it but to delay it."
'endy Williams says the
sy over Cape Wind is far
g resolved.
Aaff file photo by Sarah Murphy
THE REGISTER THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2008
Wind turbines stand atop the Christy's store at the West Yarmouth -Hyannis line. The chain's owner Christy
Mihos says he plans to add them to his other stores as well. Staff photo by David Colantuono
Small-scale alternative energy
projects gamin momentum
By Jon Chesto
GateHouse News Service
The massive offshore wind farms
proposed for Nantucket Sound and
Buzzards Bay generate most of the
headlines. But most of the progress in
renewablb energy in Massachusetts
this year will likely be seen among
much smaller turbine projects.
The Massachusetts Technology
Collaborative estimates that 10 wind
turbine projects could be built and
connected to the grid in 2008. Nearly
all of them, however, are just one- or
two -turbine projects. Still, when
they're complete, the 10 projects
would double the number of wind
turbine sites in the state.
An even smaller -scale approach is
being advocated for solar power.
State officials have expanded a rebate
program, setting aside up to $68 mil-
lion to help businesses and home-
owners pay for solar arrays that
would be connected to their factories,
warehouses, stores and homes.
"In general, the pace for these
smaller projects is picking up," said
Warren Leon, director of the
Renewable Energy Trust at the
Massachusetts Technology
Collaborative. "There are more
smaller projects that are close to con-
struction."
Together, the wind turbines on tap
for 2008 won't come close to
approaching the power that could be
generated by Cape Wind Associates'
130 -turbine proposal for Nantucket
Sound or a smaller wind farm that
Quincy construction magnate Jay
Cashman wants to build in Buzzards
Bay.
Both of the bigger projects face
regulatory and political hurdles. The
federal Minerals Management
Service released its draft report on
Cape Wind's project this week, but
even if the permit process is wrapped
up by the end of the year, Cape Wind
executives don't expect the contro-
versial project to be completed until
the end of 2011 — and litigation
could delay the project beyond that
date.
Cashman is awaiting legislative
approval that would give him more
flexibility to build his project in state
waters, which are currently designat-
ed as an ocean sanctuary.
But state officials say several
dozen smaller projects are in the
pipeline — with 10 that are far
enough along that they could go
online this year — thanks in part to
planning grants that the
Massachusetts Technology
Collaborative has doled out in recent
years. Most of the projects are locat-
ed along the coastline or in the hills
of Central and Western
Massachusetts where the winds are
strongest.
Of the 10 projects that could be
ready in 2008, Leon said he doubts
that all will be online by the end of
the year. One major problem, he said,
is the availability of turbines.
"There's so much demand for
wind turbines around the world at the
moment that it's easier for the manu-
facturers to sell their turbines in big
blocks to big projects," Leon said.
"It can be hard for the smaller pro-
jects to get the turbines they want
quickly."
The technology collaborative, a
quasi -public agency, has secured two
1.65 -megawatt turbines that are simi-
lar to the one that was erected in Hull
in 2006. The turbines were originally
slated for a two -turbine project in
Orleans, but local leaders there even-
tually scuttled the project. Leon said
he expects the turbines will probably
be used in Fairhaven instead.
An energy bill that's under debate
on Beacon Hill could provide addi-
tional incentives that would help the
market for wind power. Ian Bowles,
secretary of energy and environmen-
tal affairs, points to one example: A
measure in the energy bill would pro-
vide more certainty to wind turbine
developers by requiringutilities such
as NStar and National Grid to buy a
certain portion of their power from
renewable plants within the state.
Renewable standards already exist
for the utilities, but they aren't state -
specific and utilities often end up
paying fees instead of meeting the
full requirements.
Seth Yaplan, a senior attorney
with the Conservation Law
Foundation, said utilities are increas-
ingly looking for ways to fully meet
the renewable requirements. He cites
an arrangement that NStar unveiled
last year in which it would allow res-
idential customers to buy power from
a wind farm in upstate New York.
Brian Braginton-Smith, president
of Community Wind Power LLC in
South Yarmouth, said the high cost
of land and a lack of zoning rules that
specifically address wind power have
also hampered the industry's growth
in Massachusetts.
Braginton-Smith's firm is helping
market rooftop turbines that provide
supplemental power to homes and
businesses but can cost as much as
$10,000 apiece. A Christy's Market
in West Yarmouth became one of the
first businesses in the country to
install multiple Swift brand turbines
in November, and Christy's plans to
add them to other stores on Cape
Cod.
State officials are also encouraging
a rooftop -by -rooftop approach for the
proliferation of solar power. Large
solar projects that serve multiple
properties are typically too expensive
to be practical in New England.
Bowles said the state has nearly
doubled the amount of money set
aside for rebates to install solar pan-
els with the $68 million program that
the Patrick administration unveiled
last month. State officials expect that
over four years, nearly 27 megawatts
of solar panels will be installed —
enough power for up to 27,000
homes.
Leon said he expects that some of
the solar projects could be larger
installations, like the 425 -kilowatt
Brockton Brightfield project. "If you
have enough solar installations, it
collectively adds up to something
meaningful," he said.
What
they're
saying
PAGE
What people are saying
about the Minerals Manage-
ment Service report on Cape
Wind's proposed 130 -turbine
development in Nantucket
Sound.
"There can no longer
be any environmental
argument against
Cape Wind. The only
argument left is
NIMBY -ism of the
worst kind."
— George Bachrach,
president of Environmental
League of Massachusetts
"This confirms that
Cape Wind is a clean
energy opportunity
that can't be missed.'
— Shanna Vale,
attorney for the
Conservation Law
Foundation
"This report validates
that this project will
be good for the
Commonwealth."
— Jim Gordon,
Cape Wind Associates
president
"We will be doing
in-depth analyses of
the findings and
responding. We have
some concerns."
— Audra Parker,
Alliance to Protect
Nantucket Sound
"A significant step for
this project, and for
renewable energy
more broadly."
— Gov. Deval Patrick
"There are some very
interesting things that
came out of it, for
instance the cost of
producing electricity
is twice what we are
currently pay for
electric rates."
—Cliff Carroll, Windstop.org