March 16, 2011
Massachusetts

Bourne energy panel will scrutinize turbine bylaw amendment

Bourne Courier, www.wickedlocal.com 16 March 2011

The Selectmen’s Energy Advisory Committee is scrutinizing the citizen petition article submitted by Buzzards Bay and Bournedale residents opposed to New Generation Wind’s controversial plans for seven turbines off Scenic Highway and Route 25.

Elizabeth Caporelli, energy advisory chairman, said her committee “may possibly make a recommendation to selectmen” on the petition article, which if passed by voters would ultimately govern review of the wind-farm proposal advanced by Ingersoll and Cape Cod Aggregates owner Sam Lorusso of Hyannis.

New Generation Wind principal Tudor Ingersoll of Buzzards Bay said Wednesday night he hopes Cape Cod Commission review of his seven-turbine proposal will be speedier than his first submission.

Ingersoll has re-filed his special permit application, and the town referred it to the commission. He said he is not sure if the same commission members who reviewed the first proposal would also scrutinize the second.

The latest wind-farm proposal is a new plan, and people who have submitted comments about the turbines would have to send them to the commission again.

Ingersoll said updated plans include additions requested by commission staffers, especially as they relate to more open space, and that he is still addressing historical, cultural and scenic-resource issues surrounding the proposal as well as turbine pressure and noise matters.

The citizen petition article of abutters is headed to the May 2 Bourne Annual Town Meeting warrant, asking voters to amend the zoning bylaw related to wind energy conversion systems, expand turbine setbacks and mitigate anticipated noise problems.

They group said their petition would assure that problems commonly related to turbines would be resolved before the structures go up next to their neighborhoods, not afterward.

The Bourne Planning Board and the energy panel are both reviewing the petition, which would amend the bylaw governing review of turbine proposals. The Cape commission has also drafted new turbine regulations, but even they are accepted soon they would not be applied to the New Generation Wind proposal.

Energy committee member Allyson Bizer Knox hopes “an agreement can be worked out” between New Generation Wind and its neighbors in Buzzards Bay and Bournedale.

Ingersoll said sensors and computer programs would be able to control the turbines when they cause flicker problems for nearby homes. He said he would fund an account with the town that would underwrite investigations of complaints as they arise and that offending turbines would automatically be shut down until the matter is resolved.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/03/16/bourne-energy-panel-will-scrutinize-turbine-bylaw-amendment/