Status - Falmouth Wind Turbines: Need More Cash

"Kick the can down the road", a ubiquitous phrase in Falmouth wind turbine politics over the last ten years is costing more and more money.

June 2017, the Massachusetts courts in multiple decisions shut down both Falmouth town-owned nuisance wind turbines.

January 2019, the Falmouth Select Board asked the town council to prepare a Request for Proposal to re-purpose the wind turbines as they will never operate in their current location again. After ten months there is no Request for Proposal as first reported.

The wind turbines original installation both generating 110 decibels of noise each have always been a political decision, not a business decision. There was always a total and intentional disregard for health and property rights.

A Vestas letter, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center memo, emails prior to installation, a 2005 KEMA Inc study, maps and a refusal by General Electric a domestic wind turbine company to place one turbine because of residential setbacks and ice throw shows the neighbors were going to be tortured by the wind turbine noise.

The original cost of the turbines was around 3 million each ten years ago for a total of 6 million. A Massachusetts state agency originally purchases two of the Vestas V-82 type 1.65 megawatt wind turbines for 5.2 million for both. The cost today to upgrade these ten tear old gear-driven turbines is more than the original purchase price.

The town has hired an engineering firm to help make a business decision.

The Select Board would like to move the turbines to another location or decommission the turbines selling the parts or re-purpose the turbines as cell towers, etc.

To make this decision, there are two fundamental questions to be answered:

1. What makes technical sense?

2. What makes economic sense?

On November 12, 2019, Falmouth Town Meeting in Article 14 will be asked to appropriate a sum of money to initiate the process of disposition of the Wind Turbines which includes dismantling, relocation, engineering, permitting and other related costs, and to determine how the same shall be raised and by whom expended. "Or do or take any other action on the matter."

Blade inspection requires a visual inspection for delamination and cracks and a more detailed inspection when the blades are on the ground. Blades wear around 1 to 2 percent per year affecting the original power production specifications.

There aren't many options to recycle or trash turbine blades. They are made of a tough but pliable mix of resin and fiberglass people in the industry refer to the blades as man-made Asbestos.

New blades today run around 1 million each and if replaced all three need replacement as they are balanced.

The gearbox requires an inspection of all the bearings. The privately-owned Vestas V-82 in Falmouth had extensive bearing replacements.

The crane service includes a specialized type of lift that costs a minimum of $150,000.00 for three days and $50,000.00 for each additional day.

Legal fees ongoing: the success of the recommission option depends on the negotiation and finalization of legal agreements that are consistent with our current understanding of the transactions and adequately serve the Town's interests.

At the Falmouth, November 2016 Town Meeting members approved a high of $ 440,000.00 for litigation fees. The Select Board for years bi-yearly askes more money for legal fees it never ends.

Finally, let's not forget the June 2009 Falmouth Special Town Meeting to accept a grant of 5 million dollars in stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for the building of the second Falmouth turbine number two.

As it turns out the 5 million was a loan brokered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection with a power production agreement that requires the repayment of the 5 million-plus interest if the turbine shuts down.

The Falmouth Select Board has “kicked the can down the road” for years while electricity is still going into the wind turbines paying for maintenance plans and the multi-million dollar loans, and supporting engineering and out of town legal firms at taxpayer expense.

Falmouth politicians have an ethical responsibility to put the wind turbine political ideology aside, drop all pretenses of being on the right side of the climate change issue.

Start looking at what you have done to your town and your own neighbors for a land-based wind turbine the state dropped in 2013.

"There's a sucker born every minute" is a phrase closely associated with P. T. Barnum, .... Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus - This phrase could be used to describe Town Meeting Members voting for more money for the ongoing Falmouth wind turbine circus.

Falmouth Massachusetts Wind Turbine Update

State of the Town: Massachusetts Courts Shut Down Nuisance Wind Turbines June 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meCC5XU-uzw