Falmouth Taxpayers Hit Hard On Renewable Energy Projects

"Who's on First?" is a comedy routine made famous by Abbott and Costello but in Falmouth it's all about renewable energy agreements

The Falmouth EDIC’s mission is to attract, advocate and support economic vitality and seek to constantly improve the business climate in Falmouth.

The Falmouth Economic Development and Industrial Corporation (EDIC) agreed more than three years ago in long drawn out meetings that after three years of operation the rent from the Solar project would go half to the Town of Falmouth.

Now that the money is due the EDIC wants to keep most of the revenue.

Falmouth Select Board members serve on the EDIC board.

The Falmouth Board of Selectmen is the chief executive and policy-making body of the Town of Falmouth and can vote to change the solar agreements usually Town Meeting approval would be needed in any case.

The Falmouth Planning Board Chairman who recently also served on the EDIC stated the increase up to six megawatts of solar power would offset the loss of the town wind turbines shut down by the courts.

The Falmouth Select Board has voted to move the turbines out of town to a new location.

The Falmouth Planning Board, EDIC and Select Board appear to be on separate pages just prior to April 2020 Annual Town Meeting.

In November of 2019, Falmouth Town Meeting voted 2.5 million to remove the turbines and more money down the road as the town is looking to lease the turbines out to other locations out of town. The turbines are 15-year-old gear-driven wind turbines.

Falmouth spent eight years on up to eleven lawsuits and appeals over the nuisance wind turbines. The cost of the litigation remains unknown.

The Town of Falmouth picking winners in the renewable energy market has cost taxpayers millions of dollars, and the rate of failure is substantial.

Before the Town of Falmouth blesses another renewable energy project in this town, it might be important to understand the cost to taxpayers.