National Wind Watch: Wind Energy News » Bourne wind project scaled back

On Thursday, the Cape Cod Commission reported that proponents of New Generation Wind want to eliminate two 2.5-megawatt turbines from their seven-turbine proposal in Bournedale.

“This is testimony to how we care about the community,” said Greg O’Brien of the Stony Brook Group in Brewster and spokesman for New Generation Wind. “This is done in the spirit of compromise and willingness to work together.”

The turbines proposed for elimination, designated as No. 3 and No. 6, were the closest to residential neighborhoods and the ones that seemed to cause greatest concern to Bourne residents, O’Brien said.

New Generation Wind proponents will discuss the changes at a Cape Cod Commission public hearing scheduled for 4:30 p.m. next Thursday at Bourne High School, O’Brien said.

Turbine No. 3 was planned for the northeast area of the 373-acre proposed New Generation Wind site along the Scenic Highway near Bournedale Road.

Turbine No. 6 was in the southwest portion of the property, close to Route 25.

At a recent Cape Cod Commission subcommittee public hearing about New Generation Wind, both residents and members of the committee expressed concerns about the two turbines’ effects on nearby neighborhoods.

And turbine No. 3 came under scrutiny for the effect it would have on the Scenic Highway and attractions such as the herring run area.

If the change is approved by the commission subcommittee, it would reduce New Generation Wind’s energy output from 17 megawatts to 12 megawatts. “This is not done without an impact on the developer,” O’Brien said.

But residents against the project say the changes don’t go far enough.

“There seems to be less of a project, but the project that’s still proposed doesn’t meet the expectations of what the citizens that voted at (special) town meeting wanted,” said Jim Potter, president of the residents’ group Citizens for Responsible Wind Energy.

In May, voters approved a bylaw amendment that eliminates the possibility of future commercial-grade turbines. The revised bylaw will not affect the New Generation Wind project.