Falmouth Onshore Wind New 345000 Volt Right of Way

Offshore Wind started negotiations with the Town of Falmouth in 2019. As of June 8th, 2022, the project requires 1200 megawatts of industrial power from offshore wind through the town to a six-acre high-voltage direct current converter plant. Although not mentioned in the proposal most modern 1200-megawatt converter plants are generally built with a 400-megawatt backup system on additional acreage.

The Massachusetts Energy Facility Siting Board, EFSB 21-03/D.P.U. 21-142/21-143 has been petitioned to bypass Falmouth zoning bylaws that have anything to do with height restrictions, noise, radio frequencies, cables, and the town wind turbine bylaws enacted by the town meeting because of the nuisance created by the two town-owned wind turbines removed in 2022.

The project is on hold because the old electric grid right of way, ROW cannot transfer the power off Cape Cod to Boston where it will be used.

The electric grid operator document appears to require a new 345,000 volt right of way in sections of Falmouth or bypass the town by using submarine cables to Boston. Note 1 below

A 345,000-volt right-of-way requires tree removal and setbacks to residential homes. Other electric rights of way in Falmouth have been the subject of herbicides and the town's drinking water.

Falmouth is a beach and boating vacation destination with a large retirement community.

Town officials may be anxious to accept revenues from the offshore wind company community host agreements, but what happens to residential property values, business, and vacation destinations in the long run?

On May 24, 2012, around 65 Falmouth families appeared at the Board of Health over the placement of the town-owned megawatt wind turbines. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rguPxQ93Qc&t=325s

This onshore wind industrial cable project does not belong in a residential vacation destination with long-term effects that will be catastrophic. What happened with the town-owned wind turbines would be minuscule compared to the onshore cable project.

The long-term loss can not be calculated.

------------------------

Note 1: See pages 8 and 9 of the electric grid document 345, 000 volt ROW

https://www.iso-ne.com/static-assets/documents/2022/09/a03_second_cape_cod_resource_integration_study_status_update.pdf

Note 2: Massachusetts has created the Commission on Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting to bypass the Home Rule. This is an effort to bypass zoning health and safety bylaws for the offshore wind agenda.