Falmouth Wind Turbines Where's Waldo "RFP"

January 2019 Select Board Directed Attorney and Manager To Prepare Three Request for Proposals To Get Rid of Turbines;

TOWN OF FALMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST (RFLOI) WIND TURBINE HOST AGREEMENT

April 2019

The Town of Falmouth Board of Selectmen, acting through the office of the Town Manager, is seeking letters of interest for a wind turbine project host agreement. The requested letters of interest are sought from either public or private entities with sufficient land, wind resource and electrical interconnection capacity to host one or both of the Town’s two large-scale wind turbines for the mutual benefit of both parties. The Town Falmouth will be responsible for the relocation and operation of the turbines and expects to receive a portion of the wind turbine project’s economic benefits under a mutually beneficial host agreement.

Falmouth owns two Vestas 1.65 megawatt V-82 wind turbines with 80- meter tall towers, currently installed at the Town’s wastewater treatment facility located at 165 Blacksmith Shop Road in Falmouth, Massachusetts. The two wind turbines, installed in 2010 and 2012, were determined not to be suitable in their present locations and, therefore, have temporarily ceased operating. The Board of Selectmen has directed the Town Manager to seek options to relocate and operate the turbines at an alternative location(s).

The wind turbines have been operated in close partnership with and maintained by the original equipment manufacturer (Vestas) since they were installed and are considered to be in good working order. Falmouth seeks to enter into a wind turbine host agreement with a qualified party or parties and share in the energy and/or Class 1 renewable energy credit attributes the wind turbines produce, if installed and permitted to operate as designed in another alternative location.

Failing to find a qualified host or failing to negotiate a mutually beneficial host agreement under a separate and subsequent procurement as the first preferred priority option, the Board of Selectmen will seek to pursue other alternatives, in a descending priority order, which may include the following: (1) sale of wind turbine(s); (2) enter into an agreement which removes the blades and nacelle and repurposes the tower(s) for use as communications towers, and lastly; (3) dismantle the turbine(s) and remove for private use.

Entities interested in acting in the capacity of a project host, or capable of providing any of the services related to one or more of the options above, are encouraged to submit a letter of interest to the Town of Falmouth. The requested letter of interest should be on letterhead and should clearly identify the name and affiliations of the entity responding, a brief statement of qualification with respect to the entities’ wind turbine project development knowledge and experience and be signed by an individual who is legally authorized to represent the entity in any subsequent agreements. The letter should indicate which of the options the entity is interested in and capable of providing to the Town of Falmouth.

Letters of interest should be directed to Julian M. Suso, Town Manager, 59 Town Hall Square, Falmouth, MA 02540, no later than May 30, 2019. Based upon the responses received, the Town of Falmouth anticipates issuing a qualifications-based Request for Proposals (RFP) pursuant to 225 CMR 19.0 and G.L.c. 25A, for host energy management services agreement; and/or other related dismantling, decommissioning, civil, mechanical and electrical construction services under G.L. c. 30B, to procure the necessary construction-related services required to implement one or more aspects of the project alternatives which are deemed to be in the best interest of the Town of Falmouth. Questions related to this RFLOI may be directed to townmanager@falmouthma.gov.

http://www.falmouthmass.us/DocumentCenter/View/6075/Wind-Turbines---Request-for-Letters-of-Interest?bidId=