Voters narrowly reject $55K wind power study
CLINTON — Wind energy proponents had a clear majority on their side at the end of Monday night’s meeting, but it wasn’t enough.
Voters at the annual Town Meeting favored the proposal to spend $55,000 on a study of whether — and where — Clinton could make money by building a wind turbine, 162-83, but the article failed to achieve two-thirds support. It lacked five votes.
Gloria Parkinson, a member of the town’s Alternative Energy Committee, said she was encouraged by the result.
“We’re going to go ahead and track down grants for a feasibility study,” she said.
Parkinson said state grants could potentially pay for the full cost of the wind study. She also said that her committee would continue to investigate different methods of capturing wind energy: “the design of turbines is changing … and the whole technology is evolving.”
During debate on the spending article, which was the 18th and last item on the Town Meeting warrant, Alternative Energy Committee member Terrance Ingano had said that with grants, the study could cost the town nothing, but even if the town had to pay for it, wind power would save money.
“You spend about $1.2 million a year in just electricity in town,” Ingano said, and if the study finds a location in Clinton where wind power is feasible, the turbine would pay for itself through electricity savings.
A majority of voters rejected a Finance Committee proposal to mandate that the Alternative Energy Committee receive Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals approvals for a permanent turbine before setting up the temporary towers to study wind patterns.
James Tomolo, chairman of the finance board, said it didn’t make sense to study parcels of land where a wind turbine may not be permitted. John Woodsmall, the Conservation Commission chairman, said the amendment would make the study impossible.
Elsewhere on the Town Meeting warrant June 29, donated $16,800 to WHEAT and other charities, allowed the town to declare a water emergency when necessary, raised tax and fee non-payment penalties, mandated that selectmen allow public comments at their meetings, moved the town election and annual Town Meeting dates to June and changed the Town Meeting quorums to 200 at the annual, 150 at a special meeting.
Voters rejected articles that would have eliminated the quorum requirement at annual Town Meetings and would have added the Finance Committee chairman to the Law Committee, which oversees the town solicitor.
By Michael Ballway and Bret Matthew
The Times & Courier
30 June 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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