Falmouth Wind Turbine RFP: A Green Rabbit Hole

The Falmouth Select Board voted to issue multiple RFPs, Request for Proposals, to lease land out of town to continue wind turbine operations and find a third party to run the turbines.

Barnstable Superior Court Judge Cornelius Moriarty issued the order to shut down Falmouth's Wind 1 and Wind 2 on June 21, 2017, as they are a nuisance. The finding was later confirmed by three Massachusetts Appeals Court Justices.

According to Falmouth bylaws, the year-long inactivity constitutes abandonment under Falmouth’s wind energy bylaw and triggered a requirement they be dismantled and removed. Almost two years later they stand motionless in violation of town bylaws.

Five Falmouth Select Board Members voted 4-0 Monday, January 14, 2019, not to operate either Wind 1 or Wind 2 both foreign-made Vestas wind turbines, ever again in Falmouth, Selectman Sam Patterson abstained from the vote.

A major financial issue is the town received $5 million in State Reserve Fund loans for the Wind turbine II project. The money was allocated by the federal government through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The ARRA federal funds can not be used if they create a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety related to the implementation or use of ARRA recovery funds.

A statement to the Boston Globe shows the error borrowing these funds meant to put Americans to work using American products.

Falmouth Selectman Sam Patterson stated to the Boston Globe: Patterson "acknowledged that town officials made mistakes, particularly in failing to comply with zoning requirements."

It's important to point out in addition, the town even today continues to hide an August 2010 letter as well as emails from Vestas wind company that the turbine generates 110 decibels of noise and prior to the ARRA loan for Falmouth Wind II the town had a study done by KEMA Inc in 2005 with a map showing a single GE wind turbine would break state noise regulations.

The town hired an engineering firm for $14,000.00 which said the eight-year-old gear driven Vestas V-82 wind turbine could run another 30 years. Most people know you could keep a 1954 Chevrolet pick up truck running another 30 years at what cost ?

The engineering firm left out the maintenance costs for new gearboxes and blades more than likely more than the original costs of the turbines. The turbines were designed to last twenty years but the gearbox only last 5 to 8 years and need replacement at near one million.

Wind turbine blades lose about 2 percent of their usefulness every year as they are designed on the same principal as Ice Skates their blades wear out. An example is at the end of eight years each blade has lost around 16 percent of its power to produce electricity. All three blades need to be balanced in which requires the replacement of all three blades at around one million each for a total of 3 million.

The Select Board also forgets as of August of 2008 the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative now the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center couldn't even get a bid at auction for the two Vestas V-82 type 1.65 megawatt wind turbines that they owned.

In order to speed up the installation, the MTC gave the Town of Falmouth a million dollars in advance to take just one turbine.

What private business company would agree to take two eight-year-old gear driven turbines generating 110 decibels of noise that could not be sold at an auction in the year 2005 almost 15 years ago ?

The Town of Falmouth wind turbine RFP, Request for Proposal has to comply with M.G.L. Ch. 30B requirements requirements.

The RFP has to clearly articulate the communities goals and include all specifications.

Those specifications should include the turbines generate 110 decibels of noise and require a setback of 2923 feet for one turbine to residential property and further if two or more are located together.

Falmouth citizens do not have to be afraid of what they are told. They have to be afraid of what they are not told.

Looney Tunes was an American animated series of comedy short films produced from 1930 to 1969. The construction of the Falmouth wind turbines began in 2010 which has become the poster child of how not to build a wind turbine near residential homes.

The tinfoil hat made of aluminum is a sort of mocking to protect people from mind control from in this case the state wind turbine agenda taking health and property rights. How much longer before we see Falmouth Town Meeting Members voting more money to rebuild the old gear driven turbines, build new foundations etc. If they do they need to bring the hats.

Commercial wind turbines are a financial and health bunco scheme of enormous consequence. The people who value intellectual honesty should not quietly be fleeced by such mendacity, even from their government officials.