LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Closed for the holiday: Falmouth wind turbines 

The action will "give a little relief on the holidays" as well as compensate neighbors for moments over a two-week period when the turbines operated outside the agreed-upon time parameters, [Selectman Kevin] Murphy said. In May, selectmen voted in favor of shutting the turbines down from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day as a compromise between the town and opponents. But the loss of power after Hurricane Sandy last month and the end of daylight saving time two weeks ago affected the turbines' programming, causing them to spin as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 9:30 p.m., said wastewater Superintendent Gerald Potamis.

Credit:  By Sean Teehan | Cape Cod Times | November 21, 2012 | www.capecodonline.com ~~

Those opposed to the Falmouth wind turbines have at least one reason to be grateful this week: The selectmen voted to shut off the two town-owned turbines on Thanksgiving.

The 1.65-megawatt turbines at the wastewater treatment plant on Blacksmith Shop Road – known as Wind 1 and Wind 2 – also will shut down on Christmas.

“I applaud the selectmen for doing that,” said Malcolm Donald, a turbine abutter and outspoken opponent. “We’re going to be thankful for it.”

For more than two years, people who live near the turbines have complained of nausea, vertigo and other health problems. The decision to turn off the turbines for the two holidays came at a meeting Monday night when selectmen unanimously approved the measure, introduced by Selectman Kevin Murphy, chairman of the board.

“We thought it would be a time we could build some good will,” Murphy said Tuesday.

Selectman Doug Jones noted Christmas is a religious holiday, and questioned whether the board should take a stance. The board ultimately decided to turn off the turbines because many people are home on the holiday.

The action will “give a little relief on the holidays” as well as compensate neighbors for moments over a two-week period when the turbines operated outside the agreed-upon time parameters, Murphy said.

In May, selectmen voted in favor of shutting the turbines down from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day as a compromise between the town and opponents.

But the loss of power after Hurricane Sandy last month and the end of daylight saving time two weeks ago affected the turbines’ programming, causing them to spin as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 9:30 p.m., said wastewater Superintendent Gerald Potamis.

This week’s gesture does show some good faith, said Barry Funfar, another turbine abutter.

But two days in the year amount to a drop in the bucket for Funfar, who has submitted several nonbinding warrant articles to town meeting petitioning the town to shut off the turbines completely.

“We’ll take anything we can get, but I’m still thinking about the other 363 days they’re on,” Funfar said Tuesday.

“It’s a nice gesture, but it’s not much.”

Turning off the turbines on Thanksgiving will make the day more enjoyable for Donald, who is hosting family at his house for the holiday.

Donald, who has said the turbines cause him headaches among other symptoms, said he believes the decision is an admission from selectmen that the turbines cause health issues.

“I think it’s a real acknowledgement among selectmen that this is a real problem,” Donald said.

Murphy denied Donald’s assertion.

“It couldn’t be further from the truth,” Murphy said.

“There was no acknowledgement of any effects whatsoever.”

The amount of money the town saves in electricity each day depends largely on wind gusts, but Potamis said the town would likely lose money by shutting off the turbines Thanksgiving and Christmas, he said.

“We’re losing money because on those two days we’ll be running on grid power,” Potamis said. But he added that not much would be lost, calling the shutdown “no big deal.”

Source:  By Sean Teehan | Cape Cod Times | November 21, 2012 | www.capecodonline.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon