FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
(Send your Questions to: chairman@duxburywind.com)
Why Wind Power?
Wind
power is the world’s fastest growing electric power source because it makes
clean, emission-free power and is increasingly economical. The proposed By-law supports our energy goals
by setting guidelines for wind power development that protect the environment,
enhances national energy security goals and maintains the rural character of
Duxbury.
What it is:
The
By-law is a set of guidelines that will assist the Duxbury permitting
authorities in evaluating future proposed wind power generation projects. It specifies parameters such as height,
setbacks, noise control and other site and environmental considerations that
will be required of any project.
What it is not:
The
By-law does not create an “as-of-right” process for wind facility
development. Any project being proposed
would require a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals. A special permit would only be issued if the
Zoning Board of Appeals finds that a proposed project does not create
unacceptable impacts on safety, aesthetics or the environment.
Environmental Benefits:
The
production and use of energy has more impact on the environment than any other
human activity. Wind power is one of the
lowest-impact forms of electricity available to us. According to the Massachusetts Technology
Collaborative, a single 660 kW turbine displaces 1,300 tons of carbon dioxide
each year. Over 20 years, to generate
the same amount of electricity, 17,000 tons of coal would need to be burned (a
line of 10-ton trucks 7 miles long).
Financial Benefits:
Wind
power can provide Duxbury with significant savings in its annual electricity
costs. A $1.25 million investment in a
wind turbine would yield $150,000 in annual savings and would be paid back in
approximately 6 years.
Considerations:
The
development of wind power must be regulated in a way that takes into
consideration potential negative impacts including noise, wildlife disruption,
safety issues such as ice throw and fall zone concerns, shadow-flicker and
aesthetics. The proposed By-law sets up
guidelines for these issues but the true measure of a
wind facilities impact must be fully evaluated on a “site by site” basis. The special permit process will allow the
Town to fully vet the pros and cons of any potential wind project in order to
make the best decisions possible for our community and agree with the
sentiments of the community.
The
proposed By-law (Article 18 on the 2010 Town Meeting Warrant) has the support
of the Selectmen, Planning Board, and Finance Committee. The By-law also has the support of
Sustainable Duxbury as well as widespread community support.
Questions & Answers:
Question 1. What is the purpose
of Article 18 “Community Scale Wind Facilities”?
Answer: This By-law is part of the town planning
process as currently there are no zoning laws governing these type of facilities. We
seek to accommodate a town owned distributed generation, wind energy conversion
facility (not commercial or residentially scaled facilities) in appropriate
locations, while minimizing any adverse visual, safety
and environmental impacts of the facility.
Question 2.
Why does Duxbury need a by-law for wind generation?
Answer: Many towns in
Question 3.
Why did you set the maximum height as 250 feet when some believe a much taller
tower can be more effective.
Answer: The purpose of the
by-law is for municipal wind turbines. The Alternative Energy Committee
has been working with the various town planning
committees for over two years and arrived at this figure after input received
at public hearings, from the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Selectmen
as well as from the views from last year’s Town Meeting. The cost
of erecting higher towers probably puts the project out of the range for the
Town as far as economies of scale. The By-law is not designed to support
development of commercial turbines, but rather smaller scale / Community Scale
machines for municipal use only (RPS Class 2). Efficiency has to take
into account economics. Bigger turbines
require a different analysis. When we exceed the amount of energy we
can diffuse via net metering the return on investment is much smaller. On
excess power generation (RPS Class 1), we can only get the return of
a discounted wholesale rate on the kW-hrs. Therefore, under current
regulatory statues, the Town gets the greatest benefit when we are using the
energy within the boundaries of net-metering provisions of the Green
Communities Act of 2008. Another concern
would be that once you exceed 1MW of power generation, the Town could be
considered a GO (generation owner) and would require an employed person
with NERC certifications. There may be other responsibilities if we
were designated a commercial operator / generation owner, which is not what
this by-law is about. The Site Assessment Report indicated
that up to (3) 750kW Turbines could be located at the North Hill, DPW site,
which would meet most of the existing and future municipal electrical needs of
the Town. (All Turbines in this area
were evaluated with a max tip height of no more than 250 Feet). The site possesses the grant-funding minimum
requirement of 6 m/s wind velocity at 70m Hub height (230 Feet) based on
existing empirical wind data. While we don't
currently know what the wind is at our projected hub height of 164 Feet (50M
Hub height), considering a 164 feet hub height, plus a 69 ft radius (137.7 Dia
Blade sweep), the blade tip, at it's lowest point
would be 95 feet above grade. Most trees
in
Question 4.
Will there be wind towers on
Answer: No, the By-law
specifically prohibits erection of wind turbine towers on the beach, dunes
protection district and wetlands, and sets specific zones where a wind turbine
can be sited.
Question 5. Does this By-law limit the impact of these structures.?
Answer: The By-law provides
standards for the placement, design, construction, monitoring, modifications, public
safety to minimize impacts on scenic, natural and historic resources.
Question 6. Does
not having a By-law in place preclude you from moving forward with a
feasibility study that would pay for the
Answer: The proposed By-law makes
provisions to more easily allow the funding of a wind study, including the
construction of a Meteorological Tower or use of LIDAR/SODAR (Light Detection
and Ranging/Sonic Detection and Ranging) equipment necessary to perform a
comprehensive wind resource study.
A By-law is not required,
however Duxbury's request for the grant money will certainly be taken more
seriously in the competitive world of grant solicitation, especially if the strength and
number of award applicants is large, and the pool of funding available at that
time is limited. Additionally,
if the By-law doesn't pass a 2/3rds vote
at Town Meeting, another wind facility by law can not be put on the Town
Meeting Warrant for (2) years. That could represents (2) years of potential
lost energy savings for the Town. The
lost revenue stream and inability to start controlling spiraling energy cost on
the front end (early on) are always magnified as project implementation
timelines drags on.
Question 7. Is
this By-law written well enough to stand up to scrutiny?
Answer: It has passed the scrutiny
of the ZBA, Planning Board, Selectman and Town Counsel. It is not a generic By-law based on an MTC /
DOER / DOE websites. It is very specific
to and crafted to meet the Town of
Question 8. Why
isn’t the By Law more aggressive and less restrictive?
Answer: The Alternative Energy
Committee has been balancing the needs to protect land / properties values
within the Town, while drafting the proposed Wind Zoning By-Law.
The proposed by-law is
certainly a compromise, as it needs to balance public opinion (gathered during
the legislative process via hearings and meetings) in Duxbury with the selection
of locations where wind turbines are both feasible and acceptable. Also, limiting the height of proposed
turbines was made considering a need to develop a clean, renewable
energy resource that will save the town from future spiraling energy costs and
reduce the nation’s dependency on foreign energy supplies.
Wind turbines and the
provisions of the proposed by-law are an opportunity to satisfy these needs
while still being sensitive to possible resistance to a different energy
technology and its’ affects on neighborhoods and the culture of Duxbury. The AEC has deliberately chosen to draft this
by-law, that is considered to be too restrictive by some, to address the needs
specific to Duxbury (Excluded locations such as barrier beaches, wetlands etc)
and provides a "walk before we run" approach to adopting new energy
sources. In fact, the Publicly Owned
Land Overlay District (POLO District) is the only location that Duxbury's Wind
Facilities By-law allows turbines to be sited.
Other communities have chosen to utilize generically written by-laws found
on state energy websites and have encountered both unwanted development and
community resistance when the scale and locations of the projects were
realized.
More Information & Green
Communities Act of 2008 Overview relative to wind power and renewables:
On
A Bridge to a Cleaner Future