HomeMy WebLinkAboutNantucket Energy Study Committee Minutes 12-29-2011_201402051107374952DRAFT Minutes for meeting on December 29, 2011, 5PM, 4 Fairgrounds RoadNext scheduled meetings: January 3, 2012, 5pm, location to be announced; regular monthly meeting on January 5, 2012, 5PM, 2 Fairgrounds Road
Meeting called to order by Acting Chair Whitey Wiulauer at 5:08PM. In attendance were committee mem-bers Whitey Willauer, Ian Golding, Zachary Dusseau, H. Flint Ranney, John Stover, and Ken Blackshaw; absent were Anne Kuzspa, Peter Morrison, and Chris Magee. Also present were the Town’s Alternative Energy Outreach Coordinator Lauren Sinatra, Selectman Rick Atherton, Connie Voges, Barbara Carr, Bar-bara Gookin, Doug Williams, Jason Graziadei from the Inquirer and Mirror, and Geno Geng videotaping the meeting at the request of Doug Williams.
The Agenda was discussion of the Common Sense Nantucket information booklet for the Board of Select-men, dated December 28, 2011.
Whitey opened the discussion pointing out an error in item 1a in the booklet, where the wind turbine blades are stated to be 183 feet long whereas they are actually proposed to be 92 feet long. Item 2c refers to birds and bats. Discussion with Ken Blackshaw indicated that studies for the committee show that this concern is minimal. Item 3c states that the turbine will not reduce residents’ electric bills. Flint agreed, stating that depending on how the Town’s electric bill savings are consumed by government, the turbine “could” reduce residents’ tax bills but not electric bills. John Stover said that “this little turbine” should pay for itself and save $3,700,000 for other capital projects.
Item 4d refers to Net Metering with National Grid. Whitey stated that net metering is popular in Massa-chuetts and has a low likelihood of being retracted. Pro forma calculations for this turbine do not depend on net metering for financial feasibility, though net metering could be helpful to the Town in other facili-ties. Item 5a states that other Cape communities have said “no” to wind turbines. Whitey summarized his research showing that compared to all such communities, Nantucket has higher average wind velocities, a smaller and less costly turbine with more capacity, more distant residences, and lower borrowing costs. In the case of Falmouth where the turbines have apparently been shut down, their particular turbines are older, cannot be feathered, and were in storage for a period of time leading to deterioration. Falmouth of-ficials did not follow the public process that NESC is engaged in, being a classic case and example for us of “what not to do”.
Item 6c regarding federal tax credits is not applicable to this project. Item 7a suggests consideration of gasification at the Town land fill. The committee agrees that this should be investigated but that the tech-nology is still emerging, and that the Mass DEP has a moratorium on such projects. After some discussion it was agreed that the NESC would invite members of Common Sense Nantucket and other Madaket residents to a joint meeting at 5pm on January 3, 2012, location TBA, to discuss the project and its many details.
Meeting adjourned at 6:18PM.
Respectfully submitted,DRAFTH. Flint Ranney, Secretary
Nantucket Energy Study Committeehttp://www.ackenergy.organd on Facebook