Falmouth Wind Turbines -MassCEC Criminal Enterprise ?

The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative today the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center originally bought two Vestas V 82 commercial 1.65 megawatt wind turbines. The agency is a state agency the turbines were bought with one way or another with your money. The Town of Falmouth taxpayers are paying back almost 5 million in municipal bonds for Falmouth Wind I To put it bluntly taxpayers are paying for Falmouth Wind I twice.

The Town of Falmouth bought their second turbine Falmouth Wind II directly from Vestas wind turbine company in which a federal grant/loan paid for most of the turbine. The federal ARRA stimulus funds come from taxpayers. The turbine was paid for with your federal tax dollars. There is no clear answer about the loan/grant for Falmouth Wind II. It does appear that the turbines are again being paid for twice one way or another by taxpayers.

Prior to the construction of the megawatt wind turbines in Falmouth the town approached General Electric the manufacturer of domestic 1.5 megawatt size wind turbines. GE refused to sell the town any wind turbines because of setbacks to residential property and ice throw to a nearby highway.

A 2005 map paid for by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative now the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center done by acoustic engineers showed the GE 1.5 megawatt wind turbine used in the study would exceed 40 decibels of noise at nearby residential homes.

The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative now the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center at this time was the owner of two Vestas V-82 commercial 1.65 megawatt wind turbines that couldn't be sold at auction because of a noise warning of two distinct types of noise "regulatory" and "human annoyance."

Vestas the manufacturer of the foreign made wind turbines also warned the Town of Falmouth in writing their turbines were louder than the General Electric wind turbines used in the older 2005 Falmouth acoustic noise study. The Vestas turbines generate 110 decibels of noise almost twice that of the GE turbines.

Falmouth is ground zero for poorly placed wind turbines in the United States.

It is at this point the entire Massachusetts land based wind turbine projects went to "Hell in a hand basket" resulting in at least twenty one other communities facing health and property takings from a noise described as torture. Wind turbine contractors and towns across Massachusetts used the ad hoc siting policies in Falmouth and the MassCEC as the gold standard.

This is where all the political winks and nods took place from local town government right up the chain through state government to the federal level. The news media is aware of all the facts and the popular press fears to tread as they to have also profited in the health and financial fiasco.

The embarrassed Massachusetts Technology Collaborative now the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center could not get their land based wind turbine projects off the ground. The state agency was tasked with achieving 2000 megawatts of commercial wind power by the year 2020. The agenda was clear do anything to achieve the wind turbine renewable energy goal even if it meant the collateral damage of a few hundred people in Falmouth which today has turned into thousands across Massachusetts.

The state agency, MTC now the MassCEC offered Falmouth a one million dollar bribe to buy Falmouth wind turbine number one from them to help get the land based renewable energy programs started.

In order to construct Falmouth Wind I the town had to avoid the Special Permit process 240-166 because it would require additional abutter notifications and hearings which it did. The Massachusetts courts have determined the town should have used the special permit process and determined the turbines are harming the residents.

Falmouth Wind turbine number one which went into operation in 2010 is no longer in operation.

Now comes Falmouth wind turbine number two. The Town of Falmouth applies for a federal waiver to get a federal loan or a grant to build the second wind turbine. The question of the if it was a loan or a grant is a political football.

In order for the Town of Falmouth to buy a foreign made wind turbine the second Vestas V-82 1.65 megawatt turbine the federal government had to approve that no domestic wind turbines were available. In the federal waiver application the Town of Falmouth never told federal authorities that General Electric a domestic wind company refused to build wind turbines in Falmouth because of setbacks.

The town never told federal authorities they were in possession of a noise warning letter from Vestas wind company that the foreign made turbines are twice as loud as the GE domestic wind turbine company and the 2005 noise map increased noise levels to near 50 decibels at near by residential homes.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 or what was called stimulus funds were used to build Falmouth Wind II. The amount is around 5 million dollars for the loan/grant. The Massachusetts Clean Water Trust (SRFProgram), dispersed to the Town of Falmouth loans totaling $4,865,000 to acquire and install Wind 2. The original interest rate is 0%. (SRFProgram) Clean Water State Revolving Fund Projects Receiving ARRA Subsidy. --Your tax money

There are no acoustic noise studies for the construction of Falmouth Wind II and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center in 2013 admitted the acoustic noise studies for Falmouth Wind I were under estimated. There are also no wind studies for both Wind I and II operating together.

The Town of Falmouth again having a noise warning letter from Vestas wind company and emails avoided the Special Permit 240-166 again because it would require notifications to the neighbors and additional hearings.

The Town of Falmouth hid the noise warning for five years hoping the state statue of limitations would run out.

The Town of Falmouth has used the court system to obfuscate the health and property taking issues in Falmouth spending up to $300,000.00 every six months on litigation

The purpose of the Falmouth Wind Turbine Option Analysis Process (WTOP) was to engage in an open, transparent, and collaborative exploration of the range of options for the long-term future of the Town’s two Wind Turbines – Wind I and Wind II.

In 2012 the Consensus Building Institute CBI was paid just under $139,000.00, for an assessment; designing and convening the process; preparing for, traveling to, facilitating and documenting 24 meetings (including all expenses); and writing and revising a final report, over the course of 13 months.

The video of the September 12, 2012 WTOP -CBI meeting over stimulus funds and Falmouth Wind II remains "lost."

Falmouth officials at the September 12, 2012 WTOP CBI meeting were unable to say if the 5 plus million dollars used to build Falmouth Wind II was a grant or a loan. The question was too complicated . It is now August 1, 2016 is the 5.3 million dollars used to build Falmouth Wind II a grant or a loan ?

This may explain why the September 12, 2012 video was " lost." Let's pose the question again is the money to build Falmouth Wind II a loan or a grant ?

The minutes to that meeting are here :

"• Town officials, in discussions with the State, should highlight the request to ensure that the terms for Wind 2 remain a grant, and not become a loan, no matter what the town decides to do with Wind 2. Further, the town should say that the WTOP is hoping that the State will help provide financial support for whatever solution the town chooses, but that the WTOP cannot yet say what that solution – or range of solutions – should be."

http://www.cbuilding.org/sites/cbi.drupalconnect.com/files/WTOP_9-12-12_meetingsummary_fnl.pdf

The term "global settlement " was first used on November 7, 2013. Representatives of the Town of Falmouth made agreements in court and renegaded one week later because it was not in writing . Every time the town gets close to a court date they offer to negotiate again and again. The only way to negotiate is get it in writing first.

Former acting Town Manager Heather Harper made this statement about the Falmouth wind turbine project : “We took on a huge risk and I think we were successful but we’re a large community and I think we can take on that risk.” The town took a gamble and lost.

The Town of Falmouth took a huge risk and lost the health and property rights of up to 200 residential home owners.

The Town of Falmouth is facing eleven lawsuits against its turbines. As the lawsuits approach in August the Falmouth Select Board strategy is to again offer mediation in order to stall court action.

Mediation has been going on since the Falmouth Select Board balked on the Barnstable Superior Court agreement on November 7, 2013

The Falmouth taxpayers are paying up to $300,000.00 every six months on litigation and now the Town of Falmouth again wants Global mediation ?

The answer is simple : Take down the turbines and stop the insanity

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center has inflicted major saftey and health violations on over twenty one towns with the poor placement of commercial wind turbines in Massachusetts