November 30, 2007
Massachusetts

Cape panel wants more clout with state board

The Cape Cod Commission voted yesterday in favor of rules changes for hearings on utility projects that also come before the state Energy Facilities Siting Board.

Barnstable County’s land-use agency has crossed paths with the siting board on a pair of large projects in the past year, including a proposal by Cape Wind Associates to run transmission lines from 130 wind turbines the company wants to build in Nantucket Sound.

The commission hopes the new procedures approved yesterday will force the siting board to pay it more heed when reviewing appeals of decisions by the regional regulatory board.

The Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates must approve the rules changes before they become official, according to Dorr Fox, the commission’s chief regulatory officer.

On Wednesday, the siting board agreed to take up an appeal of the commission’s rejection of the Cape Wind transmission lines.

The proposed rules changes will not affect the appeal.

— PATRICK CASSIDY

Cape Cod Times

30 November 2007


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/11/30/cape-panel-wants-more-clout-with-state-board/