October 6, 2011
Massachusetts

Hearing on land-based wind energy delayed

By Patrick Cassidy, Cape Cod Times, www.capecodonline.com 6 October 2011

HYANNIS – A hearing on Cape Cod about land-based wind energy siting legislation that was postponed last month has been rescheduled.

The Legislature’s Joint Committee on Telecommunication, Utilities and Energy will hold the hearing at 10 a.m. Oct. 20 in the Knight Auditorium at Barnstable High School, according to the committee’s Web page.

The siting reform legislation has faced stiff opposition since it failed to meet a necessary deadline last year that would have sent it to Gov. Deval Patrick’s desk for his signature.

Opponents of the bill in the Senate blocked its passage during informal sessions. On the Cape, opponents have argued that operation of turbines near homes and other occupied buildings can cause detrimental health effects and that the wind siting bill would reduce local control over those projects.

Patrick’s administration and supporters of wind energy say the reform is necessary to streamline the permitting process for projects that can face years of delays as developers navigate a complex series of costly hurdles.

The committee already held a hearing on the bill in Western Massachusetts, where wind energy projects also have faced fierce opposition.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/10/06/hearing-on-land-based-wind-energy-delayed/