Wind Turbine Energy: Test Your IQ

Who is actually to blame for the wind turbine health and financial fiasco in Falmouth ?

1. Mass Clean Water Trust: Falmouth Must Repay 5M Wind II ARRA Loan

Mass Clean Water Trust Board of Trustees Voted 3 Years Ago To Pay Loan Back

Falmouth as of July 2020 has not paid back the remainder of the 5 million ARRA loan

2. FALMOUTH: Wind turbine power generated at the Wastewater treatment plant was supposed to help offset much of the town’s annual energy costs. That would lead to millions in savings over a 20-year period, according to town staff at a Falmouth Special Town Meeting in June of 2009.

Town Meeting Members at the 2009 meeting like kids in a candy store wolfed down the soft-serve wind turbine revenue projections. They voted for what they thought was a grant of 5 million dollars to build the second Falmouth wind turbine. Turns out they did not get to read the fine print. Who's fault?

The problem today looking back at the town omitted noise warning letters, emails, KEMA Inc study, and special permits leading to seven years in court and the eventual court shutdown of both turbines in 2017. Legal fees and 12 million wasted on a project they knew would take health and property rights with no compensation. Who's fault?

The green energy money from the federal government ARRA program to the Massachusetts State Revolving Fund is intended for renewable energy projects. Since the Falmouth wind turbines are no longer energy-efficient climate change activists should demand the money go back immediately to go to other worthwhile green renewable energy projects. Who's fault?

State officials allowing the Town of Falmouth to use the 5 million ARRA renewable energy funds to run the day to day town business makes a mockery of Green Energy funds. Who's fault?

The Massachusetts Clean Water Trust that gave Falmouth the 5 million dollars in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act federal funds to erect one of two wind turbines wants its money back now that the rotors are no longer spinning. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection brokered what Falmouth Town Meeting in June of 2009 thought was a grant turns out it is a loan as the turbines are no longer energy efficient. Who's fault?

Massachusetts officials allowed the remaining Falmouth Wind II debt, leaving Falmouth officials with roughly $2.9 million to pay back by 2029. The money is being used to finance day to day operations in Falmouth not the green or renewable energy as required by federal regulations.

Under Federal Law and the MassDEP Project Regulatory Agreement and Loan Agreement, the Town must maintain Wind II as an "energy efficiency" project, as described in EPA guidelines dated March 2, 2009, in order to benefit from the financial subsidy provided by the Trust under ARRA and the Trust's Clean Water State Revolving Fund program.

Federal regulations governing the Trust's ARRA grant at 40 CRF Part 31.30(d) (1),

Time to pay back the loan. Why isn't the loan paid back now ? Who's fault?

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MEETING OF THE MASSACHUSETTS CLEAN WATER TRUST BOARD OF TRUSTEES

June 21, 2017 1:30 PM
State House Room 227 Boston, Massachusetts

MINUTES Attendees: Treasurer Deborah Goldberg Commissioner Martin Suuberg, Department of Environmental Protection Rachel Madden, Designee of the Secretary of Administration and Finance Also Present: James MacDonald, First Deputy Treasurer Susan Perez, Executive Director, MCWT Steve McCurdy, Director of Municipal Services of MassDEP Nate Keenan, Deputy Director, MCWT Bernard Greene, Senior Legal Counsel, MCWT Sally Peacock, Controller, MCWT My Tran, Treasurer, MCWT Lilly Anderson, Intern, Administration and Finance

CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Treasurer Goldberg at 1:35 p.m.

Item #2 REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Ms. Perez reported to the Board on the situation in Falmouth. The Barnstable Superior Court handed down a decision that stopped the operation of both Wind I and Wind II.

The Trust notified the Town in April of 2013 that if the Trust financed Wind II turbine ceased operating as an energy efficient project the Town would not be given principal forgiveness on the $4,865,000 original principal amount of its loan.

The Board discussed options for assisting the Town following this court decision:

(1) begin paying back the loan at 2% pursuant to the original Schedule C;

(2) begin paying back the loan at 2%, but with a credit for the years that Wind II did operate as an energy-efficient project;

(3) make the loan a zero-percent loan, also with a credit for the seven years that Wind II did operate and re-amortize the loan to reduce debt service per payment period; and

(4) forgive the loan.

The Board agreed that the loan cannot be forgiven. Link

https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2017/10/12/06212017-board-meeting-minutes.pdf

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Actual picture of a bloody dummy representing the neighborhood residents around the Falmouth wind turbines.

The sign (lower right) shows federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (symbol) funds were used to what the neighbors describe the noise as torture.

Entrance to Falmouth Wastewater Treatment Plant

Sign depicts use of stimulus funds to build Falmouth second wind turbine despite noise warnings. (wind turbine noise to neighbors 24/7 like torture)