February 24, 2012
Massachusetts

Quincy, Boston drop plans for Moon Island turbine

By Jessica Bartlett, Town correspondent, www.boston.com 24 February 2012

Plans for a 397-foot-tall wind turbine on Moon Island collapsed Thursday, after Quincy’s mayor withdrew support for the joint project with Boston.

Mayor Thomas Koch expressed his views in a letter to the city of Boston, which was released to Quincy residents, and he canceled a community meeting scheduled for next Tuesday on the proposal.

“I did not come to this decision lightly, and I make it only out of an abiding trust I believe we have built together that is based on listening, honest dialogue, and working as partners in the best interest of our community,” Koch wrote.

The two cities had proposed the turbine as a way of harnessing the location’s strong winds to produce electricity. Boston owns the 40-acre island, which lies within Quincy’s borders.

The announcement was disheartening to Boston, Mayor Thomas M. Menino said in a statement after the letter was released.

“I’m disappointed that we were not able to move forward with this model clean energy project that would showcase our cities’ commitment to climate action and green jobs,” Menino said. “Moon Island is uniquely situated for a community scale wind project, as it is nearly a mile away from the nearest residents and has virtually no noise or shadow impacts in the residential areas. Notwithstanding the merits of the project, we will honor Mayor Koch’s request.”

After Menino raised the idea two years ago, Koch said, he heard support for the project. Koch himself liked the idea for the turbine, designed to generate enough clean energy to meet the annual needs of 750-1,000 homes.

But after speaking with Squantumcq neighbors over the last several weeks, Koch said, it became clear that there was a strong opposition to the turbine.

Residents have raised questions about the financial aspects of the project, and expressed concerns over such things as the effect on the landscape, wildlife, and residents’ sleep.

A public hearing on Feb. 8 drew more people than the City Hall meeting room could accommodate, and officials had scheduled the informational session for next Tuesday.

The cooperation between Quincy and Boston on the turbine led to other discussions about neighborhood issues, such as limiting the hours of the Boston Police gun range on Moon Island, providing Quincy residents access to both Moon and Long islands, and reconstructing Dorchester Street.

“It is my hope that this dialogue will continue even though the community has made its voice clear that it will not support a wind turbine on Moon Island,” Koch wrote. “I also wish to stress that the City of Quincy remains committed to pursuing alternative energy.”