Documents
Category:
Massachusetts
The Minerals Management Service released the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) on the Cape Wind offshore wind energy facility proposed for Nantucket Sound. The DEIS can be accessed by downloading the file from the below link.
The Cape Cod Commission (CCC) has asserted that the Cape Wind energy project qualifies as a Development of Regional Impact (DRI) under Section 12(i) and 13(b) of the Cape Cod Commission Act. The CCC staff report can be accessed from this page.
DOER Approves Hydro Quebec Wind RECs for MA's RPS REC Market
June 12, 2007
by Division of Energy Resources
On Jun 12, MA DOER granted Hydro Quebec approval for 108MW of wind to be eligible for the MA Rec market. There is an additional 212MW of wind that is already operating and may soon follow. DOER's decision is attached. A number of folks familiar with the New England REC market believe this decision, to be followed by others, will seriously depress REC values.
Model Zoning By-Law relating to the installation of Small Wind Energy Systems.
2006
by Paul L. Gay, P.L.S., Esq.
The implementation of consistent statewide standards to achieve the timely and cost-effective installation of small wind energy systems is a matter of statewide concern. It is the intent of the Legislature that this section apply to all local agencies, including, but not limited to, towns, cities and counties.
Editor's Note: This small wind zoning statute, drafted by Paul Gay (Westport, MA) is currently in joint committee in the MA state legislature. The author describes himself as a proponent of small wind with an interest in promoting regulations that are drafted in such a way as to insure a properly functioning system while protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public.
Editor's Note: This small wind zoning statute, drafted by Paul Gay (Westport, MA) is currently in joint committee in the MA state legislature. The author describes himself as a proponent of small wind with an interest in promoting regulations that are drafted in such a way as to insure a properly functioning system while protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public.
Also filed under [
Ordinances|
USA]
Model Amendment to a Zoning Ordinance or By-law: Allowing Wind Facilities by Special Permit
2006
by Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
As interest in wind energy spreads throughout the Commonwealth, it becomes clear that there is a need within the cities and towns of Massachusetts for suitable zoning by-laws that accommodate wind projects. To help address this need, the Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources and Executive Office of Environmental Affairs developed this Model Amendment to a Zoning Ordinance or By-Law to assist cities and towns in establishing reasonable standards for wind power development. The by-law is developed as a model and not intended for adoption without review by municipal counsel:
Subsidies to a Wind Farm in Nantucket Sound
May, 2006
by Jonathan Haughton & David G. Tuerck for Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University
In November 2001, Cape Wind Associates, filed an application with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for permission to construct the nation’s first offshore wind farm in Nantucket Sound. The project would consist of 130 wind turbines, each approximately 420 feet tall, arrayed over a 24 square mile area of the Sound known as Horseshoe Shoals. The wind farm would be sited five miles off the coast, in federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) waters. From there, undersea cables would transmit power through state waters to an onshore distribution grid. The project, according to Cape Wind, would have an installed nameplate capacity of approximately 468 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
Also filed under [
Tax Breaks & Subsidies|
USA]
The Challenge of Energy Policy in New England
April, 2006
by Carrie Conaway, The New England Public Policy Center at Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Renewable energy sources have disadvantages as well as advantages, however.
Although their costs have decreased in
recent years, many renewables are still more
costly than traditional sources. Some are also
available only intermittently; for example,
wind can be variable and hydroelectric is seasonal. And while many people are in favor of
renewables in principle, many are also
unhappy when faced with the prospect of a
windmill or a trash-burning power plant in
their neighborhood. These facilities face the
same siting and investment difficulties that
any electrical facility would, as the developers of a proposed wind farm off the coast of
Cape Cod have discovered in recent years.
...the MEA Report can be used to estimate the value (avoided emissions) of Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) by providing both REC suppliers and stakeholders with information that can be used to communicate the environmental benefits of RECs and works to enhance the overall REC marketplace.
Editor's Note: As noted below under Methodology [emphasis added], this report appears to substantiate the point that wind energy would not backdown "baseload" generation.
Editor's Note: As noted below under Methodology [emphasis added], this report appears to substantiate the point that wind energy would not backdown "baseload" generation.
Also filed under [
General|
Pollution|
Tax Breaks & Subsidies|
Energy Policy|
Connecticut|
Maine|
New Hampshire|
Rhode Island|
Vermont]
Meeting Minutes - Policy Committee Massachusetts Wind Working Group
January 11, 2006
by Massachusetts Wind Working Group
Also filed under [
General]
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