LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME


[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]

Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

Get weekly updates
RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Stripe

Donate via Paypal

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

News Watch Home

Legislators tour Buzzards Bay wind farm site 

House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, who many on SouthCoast contend aided developer Jay Cashman’s effort to sprinkle giant wind turbines across Buzzards Bay, went out on the water Wednesday to look at ground zero.

Returning to land, he said he remains committed to strongly pushing for renewable energy alternatives, including wind turbine farms, as the state faces an energy crisis, but he acknowledged there needs to be a rigorous review process of any wind turbine proposals and, after touring off the coast of South Dartmouth, said that that area might not be the best location.

He said any plans for would have to be looked at in the context of making “sure to protect the environment.”

Energy is a huge business issue in the state, and wind turbines have the advantage of providing clean energy; it will be a “balancing test” to determine the right course of action, he said.

The powerful House speaker had been invited on the bay tour from Padanaram by Rep. John F. Quinn, D-Dartmouth. They were accompanied by others from the area’s legislative delegation.

Rep. Quinn said the turbines could have a potentially serious impact on quality of life for those living along the water as well as impacts on shipping and fishing. He said he invited Rep. DiMasi to view the location because it is highly visible from land and could potentially cause noise and other problems.

Rep. Quinn said travel and tourism attracting people from around the world are among the top industries in the state and construction of unsightly wind farms in Buzzards Bay could have serious economic consequences.

Rep. DiMasi has been accused of slipping a controversial amendment that critics said would open up Buzzards Bay to unlimited wind turbine development into a House energy bill late last year, with some legislators saying at the time they were unaware they had voted in favor of it.

While the amendment could benefit Mr. Cashman – a Boston developer and close personal friend of Rep. DiMasi, whose Patriot Renewables firm, based in Quincy, has proposed a plan for dozens of wind turbines to be built in Buzzards Bay – the speaker’s office has denied it was done to help Mr. Cashman.

Opponents of the plan have fought on several fronts, including arguing that bird life could be negatively affected.

Virtually everyone who accompanied Reps. DiMasi and Quinn returned from the boat trip without having changed their opinions.

Rep. Michael J. Rodrigues, D-Westport, said he favors the plan. “I want to look out and see wind turbines, not oil tankers.”

Rep. William M. Straus, D-Mattapoisett, an opponent of the development, said there remains substantial opposition to the plans, and bird studies have supported the opposition’s arguments.

By Joe Cohen
Standard-Times staff writer

www.southcoasttoday.com

10 April 2008

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Contributions
   Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)
Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI M TG TS G Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook Wind Watch on Linked In

Wind Watch on Mastodon Wind Watch on Truth Social

Wind Watch on Gab Wind Watch on Bluesky