March 9, 2011
Massachusetts

Quincy-Boston wind turbine proposal to be discussed Thursday

By Jack Encarnacao, The Patriot Ledger, www.patriotledger.com 8 March 2011

QUINCY – Quincy and Boston officials are preparing to discuss an analysis of the visual, noise and aviation impacts that a proposed 400-foot wind turbine on Moon Island would have.

A public meeting on the project is set for 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday at city hall.

The cities are negotiating an agreement that would determine how revenue generated by the turbine would be shared and how much of the $4.3 million construction cost each community will bear.

Boston needs Quincy’s approval to build the turbine because Moon Island, which is owned by Boston, is within Quincy’s city limits.

Residents will be able to ask questions about the proposal at Thursday’s meeting. Quincy’s planning board, which has to approve the wind turbine project, is expected to hold a public hearing next month on the proposal.

The turbine would be a maximum of 400 feet tall at the tip of its highest blade. It is proposed to be on the northernmost part of Moon Island, which is more than one mile away from the nearest home in Squantum.

Officials have said the plan is to connect the 1.65-megawatt turbine to the power grid. That would earn both cities credits on their utility bills and allow them to sell renewable-energy credits to companies that need them to meet regulatory requirements.

The project has already received approval by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Boston is working to obtain grant money for the project from several sources, including the Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance and the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust.

Boston officials chose Moon Island for a wind turbine proposal because it meets a series of standards, including FAA height restrictions, according to a news release from the City of Quincy.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/03/09/quincy-boston-wind-turbine-proposal-to-be-discussed-thursday/