March 10, 2011
Massachusetts

Who should control turbine placement? Perhaps the state?

Bourne Courier, www.wickedlocal.com 10 March 2011

Bourne Planning Board Chairman Chris Farrell is scheduled to meet with Rep. David Viera, R-Falmouth, on Monday to discuss possible state legislation, which if it unfolds could govern the siting of commercial and municipal turbines in Massachusetts.

Farrell said Thursday night that new state legislation could ultimately make Bourne’s wind energy conversion systems bylaw “moot;” as could pending development of regional impact regulations governing turbine project review by the Cape Cod Commission.

“We’ll see,” Farrell said. “With any state legislation, they’re talking about areas that are deemed to lack appropriate wind would be ruled out as turbine locations.”

Falmouth has been in an uproar about a single turbine and its effects on neighbors. Bourne planners have awaited New Generation Wind plans for a wind farm off Scenic Highway, a proposal that had gone undergone extensive Cape commission review before backers withdrew their special permit applications.

Now the planning board has taken under advisement a citizen-petition amendment to the wind-energy bylaw promulgated by residents of Buzzards Bay and Bournedale, who say they would be adversely impacted by the proposed wind farm of Tudor Ingersoll and Sam Lorusso.

The Buzzards Bay and Bournedale residents say their goal is to “strengthen” the town bylaw. New Generation Wind supporters say if May 2 Bourne Annual Town Meeting voters approve the amendment, no commercial turbines could ever be constructed in town.

The planning board conducted a public hearing into the bylaw amendment, but members opted not to vote on it. That may come April 14. Farrell said that in the interim, his board might have to engage some professional engineering expertise to chart the proposed differences to the bylaw and gauge the change.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/03/10/who-should-control-turbine-placement-perhaps-the-state/