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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