Falmouth Wind Failures Continue Until Further Notice

Falmouth purchased several gearbox megawatt wind turbines in 2010 and 2012 that had been in storage for years and failed to be sold at auction.

As soon as the turbines began to spin neighbors complained about the noise. The noise known as infrasound had been known since the 1979 installation of a Mod 1 turbine in Boone North Carolina with a rating of 2 megawatts. Officials failed due diligence in favor of a political agenda.

After eleven lawsuits the Massachusetts courts determined both wind turbines a nuisance and were removed in 2022. Both turbines had gearbox problems in their short life and were never resold after multiple expensive studies done by engineering companies.

The state had promised 2000 megawatts of land-based wind power by the year 2020. There are only around 100 megawatts of wind power. The program was a catastrophic failure as the state and town now turn to offshore wind.

In 2019 Offshore wind contractors began negotiations with the town of Falmouth to place 800 plus megawatt offshore wind cables and more in the future through residential locations. The cables have a power rating higher than the old Pilgrim nuclear plant. Negotiations are ongoing with the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board.

By 2021 it was disclosed a six-acre high voltage direct current to high voltage alternating current power station would be needed in the middle of the Falmouth aquifer for the cable project. Offshore wind contractors are requesting to bypass Article 97 of the Articles of Amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution.

There is not enough capacity on the current electric grid to proceed with the onshore wind cables in Falmouth.

Offshore wind contractors are halting the development of massive wind projects off Massachusetts due to economic pressures, interest rates, lack of investors long-term capital expenses, and a lack of a supply chain.

Massachusetts officials had promised 800 megawatts of wind power by the end of 2023 right now there is zero.

The establishment of 3600 wind jobs and 500 union jobs failed.

A failed promise of 1.4 billion In savings.

Offshore wind companies are losing investors and stocks are dropping by up to 50 percent.

Falmouth residents were told prior to buying the original wind turbines stored in warehouses they would have a permanent revenue stream.

The amount of money the town has spent on litigation and engineering studies to keep the old removed wind turbines spinning has never been revealed. In addition, the town received 1 million in renewable energy credits to take the turbines and had to pay back a multi-million renewable energy federal/state loan. A total health and financial disaster.

The town continues with offshore wind meetings and negotiations which undoubtedly will end just like the fate of the two town-owned wind turbines as history shows.

The renewable energy alternative is small safe modular reactors that have been certified by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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Environmental issues include Whale deaths that have followed the wind industry since the Block Island wind farm in 2016 and have followed the construction. The question of infra-sound from the blades over a long period of time in the ocean could also affect marine life.

The question of insuring the submarine cables is still up in the air.

Massachusetts has a multi-million dollar blade testing facility in Charlestown that is too small for today's wind turbines and they are only getting larger.