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Of interest

Kingston Wind Power

1/30/2013

6 Comments

 
BY DICK ROTHSCHILD, CLIPPER COLUMNIST
(© R.D. Rothschild; 2nd North American Rights)


(As appeared in The Duxbury Clipper, January 23, 2013)

Marveling at the speed with which Kingston’s “Independence” wind turbine materialized, from ground breaking to completion in two and a half months, one is tempted to think that getting community wind power up and running is a slam dunk. Far from it. Under the best circumstances it is a long, arduous process demanding extraordinary perseverance, patience and an extra measure of derring do. In Kingston’s case, the idea of harnessing wind energy goes back to August 2002 when the Town’s selectmen, led by Mark Beaton, decided to create the Kingston Secure Energy Future Commission. Three years passed before the Renewable Energy Laboratory at UMass erected a meteorological tower atop the Town’s capped landfill to monitor the site’s wind resources. Another couple of years were chewed up in discussions, presentations, reports and hearings before Town Meeting approved of a Wind Turbine Zoning and Overlay District. Then another three years were consumed to get to Town Meeting approval of a zoning bylaw amendment to adopt the Green Communities designation allowing “by right” permitting for wind turbines and then authorizing land lease for wind turbines and photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. Now tack on yet another two years of project design, zoning bylaw amendments, presentations and approvals. Finally, in late 2010, the Board of Selectmen authorized the Town Administrator to negotiate a contract to construct, operate and maintain a wind turbine.



Soon thereafter Kingston signed a contract with D & C Construction. It provided that Kingston would lease the land on which the turbine was to be erected for 20 years at $150,000 per year plus a 3.5 percent annual escalation of the lease payments. And it included a power purchase agreement entitling Kingston to buy all the electricity it needed for its municipal buildings at the discounted price of 11.5 cents per kWh (kilowatt hour) to escalate 3.5 percent annually.



As a result, this single 2.4 MW (megawatt) Hyundai Wind Turbine contributes about $315,000 a year to Kingston’s revenue – well over six million dollars over the 20 year lease period from a combination of lease payments, purchase power savings and added real estate taxes. The Town also benefits from the three privately owned Gamesa wind turbines, which contribute an additional $236,750 per year or almost five million dollars over the same period. Taken together and factoring in lease and real estate tax escalation, the total benefit to the Town could easily exceed 12 million dollars over the next two decades.



If the power produced by all the Kingston wind turbines were used to provide electricity to its homes it would take care of all 2,400 of them with enough left over to power 2,100 more. By displacing fossil fuel-generated electricity, these turbines reduce climate damaging carbon dioxide emissions by more than 71 thousand tons. That is equal to the COreducing effect of nearly 800,000 additional trees.



To date, Kingston has five operating wind turbines including the “Independence.” The smallest is a 100-kilowatt model in the MBTA yard adjoining the Kingston commuter railway station parking lot. Erected in late 2011 with funds from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, it provides 65 percent of the electricity used by the Kingston commuter rail station, including its diesel-electric engine recharging facility.



The three other turbines were erected by sustainability-minded developer Mary O’Donnell on part of the O’Donnell Family Trust’s Marion Place property, north of the Independence Mall. The property had been incorporated in an expanded wind turbine district in 2010. The wind turbine project came about when Mary O’Donnell’s 40R, 732 unit residential unit projected development on the site became enmeshed in appeals by abutters and the withdrawal of a project participant, Thorndike Development. Since then, the financing of the purchase cost of the existing three turbines has run into snags and Mary O’Donnell may have either to sell them to another operator or have them repossessed by the manufacturer. Undaunted by these high hurdles, O’Donnell is pushing ahead with a new development plan for the property. In its present iteration the plan incorporates 250 affordable apartments, an office-retail facility, solar panel electric generating arrays and acres of sustainable farming.



Despite substantial benefits the wind turbines have brought to Kingston, a very small but vocal minority, mostly abutters and well organized and financed supporters from outside Kingston, have aggressively opposed the wind turbines. Citing health, noise, safety, visual and real estate value issues they have attempted to thwart them at every stage. But an overwhelming majority of Kingston residents support the turbines as evidenced by the “Public Perception of Wind Energy Projects in MA,” a study published on Oct. 22, 2012 by The Center of International Environment +Resource Policy at Tufts University. After the wind turbines were installed, 90 percent of the Kingston residents surveyed had either a neutral, positive or very positive attitude about them.



Here’s what I come away with on the subject. The environmental and financial benefits of local wind far exceed its negatives. That said, means should be found to address the real or perceived negative effects complained about by residents closest to the turbines (short of impeding wind turbine development or operation). These could include amelioration of the offending conditions, where physically feasible and economically reasonable and where not, an offer to purchase the complainant’s property at appraised market value.

With the above disclaimer, I believe the South Shore should push ahead on building wind turbines, while continuing to learn how to optimize their efficiency and reduce their minimal negative effects.

While there are few absolutes when it comes to building a community wind energy facility, there does seem to be at least one: To succeed, it needs to be championed by one or more influential and courageous advocates in Town government.
6 Comments
Small but Vocal Minority
2/5/2013 12:53:54 am

Dick,
Here's what I come away with on the subject. You're as completely clueless as the influential and courageous advocates in Town government. The negative effects are hardly minimal to those of us living in the shadow of these industrial turbines. You should feel thankful that residents of Duxbury with more common sense than you understood that when they decided against a similarly ill-sited project in your town. Until you have all the facts, go back to writing about the outrageous cost of brie in that 10-page fish wrapper you call a local paper.

Reply
Not so small majority
2/6/2013 04:02:18 am

Typical of wind opponents. You say you live in the shadow of a turbine but fail to say where, fail to give your name, but I am sure Your list of complaints would match the standard laundry list put out by wind wise and attorney Senie that does not contain the fact that you feel you property values will go down. That fact is unproven, ask Senie, if it were he would have used it long ago. Lower prop values however will soon to become a reality because of people like you refuse to except that you now live near a train station, a mall, and some pretty neat turbines. Senie will take his $ and run far from you and the situation he left you in. Next stop Scituate!! more deep pockets.... I love it.

Reply
jo
2/19/2013 07:13:42 am

I was asked to read this blog posting and the 2 comments.
My reaction, sadness.
I fully support "Sustainable Duxbury" with the 1 exception of those in your group that are stubbornly refusing to understand the truth of wind power impacts, when wind turbines are sited negligently.

The Kingston Wind Turbines are a prime example of the very negligent and reckless process of siting industrial sized wind too close to infrastructure and human habitation.

The First commenter, I take it lives adjacent to the Kingston Turbines...so I am willing to understand the sarcasm. I have great compassion for those residents who had their due process violated as a result of Kingston's adoption of "as of right" siting of wind projects. The neighbors were never notified, therefore unable to question or explore potential concerns.

The second commenter makes me ashamed...why the need to be so nasty? I would not consider the first commenter a "wind opponent" so much as a wind critique. The criticism is either based on facts or fiction.

If this is truely a resident who lives near the turbines, then who is any of us to refute the claims of adverse impacts? What is the insistence on providing an exact location, or a name? The second commenter proceeds to not identify themselves either.

I would appreciate it so very much if Sustainable Duxbury took a more humane approach and perhaps invited some Kingston residents to a forum seeking to understand the realities and truth of their experiences.

I know several of these residents, and I take great exception to the "hateful" rhetoric spewed by commenter #2.


Why does commenter #2 denigrate everything and everyone, including the lawyer? I thought Duxbury was a "No Place for Hate" community. Understanding would go a long way to better the path for Sustainable Duxbury, since so many other endeavors I support and embrace.

This insistence that industrial wind, in a densely populated part of the country is a "good" thing is so very wrong for so many reasons.

I will end with a recent arbitration ruling in Milton, the judge ruled that "as of right" siting constitutes an illegal "taking"...none of us can propose a project that does not make a good neighbor. That was voiced very clearly at Duxbury's own planning board meeting.

As citizens we all, including residents of Kingston, have the constitutionally protected right to the safe enjoyment of our home. When a 2 MegaWatt turbine is sited 600 feet from where people live, lives are degraded and health impacts are persistent and serious.

So I sincerely wish that Sustainable Duxbury has some of their membership willing to take a stand that supports those that are indeed suffering as a result of the Kingston Wind Projects.

My hope, as a Duxbury resident is that the 2nd commenter will NOT be the representative voice of Sustainable Duxbury.

Lastly, a judge in Carson City Nevada ruled that a 75 foot residential turbine constituted a "nuisance" due to noise and strobing and ruled against the construction. Our own planning board, as I mentioned said that all uses must be good neighbors!

We, here, in Duxbury also have Article 400 which thankfully protects us all from the "Kingston Experience".

Reply
Lenihan real estate link
4/23/2013 01:15:59 am

Every real estate we need to do according to their needs.

Reply
solar company link
4/27/2013 03:33:24 am

We need more to use solar energy for our homes.

Reply
Mortgage Investors reviews link
1/26/2014 11:46:41 pm

Real Estate that use solar energy are environmentally friendly

Reply



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