NINE WIND ENERGY PROJECTS RECEIVE $2.2 MILLION IN GRANTS FROM RENEWABLE ENERGY TRUST

Three projects awarded for design and construction, six for feasibility studies

BOSTON – Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles today announced grants supporting nine new wind energy projects awarded by the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust through the new Commonwealth Wind Community-Scale Wind initiative.

“Wind energy is a core component of Governor Patrick’s plan for the Commonwealth’s clean energy future,” said Secretary Bowles. “These nine grants will help get more wind turbines installed and help more community institutions reduce their use of fossil fuels.”

The Governing Board of the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust approved the grants totaling more than $2.2 million. Project funding included design and construction grants for three new wind projects totaling more than 4 megawatts (MW) in capacity, and six feasibility studies for wind energy that would total more than 3 MW in capacity if built. The nine grants go to public projects, educational institutions, a farm, and a shopping center. Funds for the Trust come from renewable energy charges on electric bills, which generate roughly $25 million a year to support renewable energy installations and companies.

“These heavy energy-users—municipal and state facilities, schools, retail centers, and farms—have much to gain from wind power, and the Trust is glad to be able to put wind power within their reach,” said Phil Giudice, Commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and chair of the Trust’s Governing Board.

The three projects receiving design and construction grants are the town of Hanover, for its wastewater treatment plant; the Lynn Water and Sewer Commission; and the Massachusetts Department of Correction, for North Central Correction Institution-Gardner.

Awards for the six feasibility studies go to Allen Farm, Martha’s Vineyard; Cape Cod Academy, Osterville; Centerville-Osterville-Marston Mills Fire District; Colony Place, Plymouth; Falmouth Academy, Falmouth; and Up-Island Regional School District, Chilmark, Aquinnah, and West Tisbury.

Following Commonwealth Solar – the first Trust program defined by technology type – Commonwealth Wind is the new name for Trust grant programs that support wind energy projects. Commonwealth Wind’s Community-Scale initiative supports wind projects of at least 100 kilowatts in size; its Micro-Wind initiative provides rebates for the installation of wind projects of up to 100 kilowatts, typically for residential, small commercial, or agricultural sites.

Details of the grants can be found below.

Commonwealth Wind: Community-Scale initiative

Design & Construction Grants

Town of Hanover

The Town of Hanover will proceed with the design and construction of a 225-kW wind turbine at the Pond Street Water Treatment Plant in Hanover, MA. The Town of Hanover originally received funding through the Renewable Energy Trust’s Large Onsite Renewables Initiative to install a 100-kW wind turbine at the site. In an effort to supply a greater percentage of the facility’s energy needs, as well as show improved economic returns, the Town decided to increase the project size to a 225-kW wind turbine. As a result, the Town of Hanover applied for and received funding for the additional capacity.

Building Type:

Municipal

Technology:

225-kW Wind Turbine

Award:

$200,000

Lynn Water and Sewer Commission

The Lynn Water and Sewer Commission will work to design and construct a 600-kW wind turbine at the Regional Water Pollution Control Facility in Lynn, MA. The Lynn Water and Sewer Commission has been working on the feasibility of installing a wind turbine at the site since 2004. The site has a good wind resource, and it is anticipated that 100 percent of the electricity produced by the project will be consumed behind the meter.

Building Type:

Municipal

Technology:

600-kW Wind Turbine

Award:

$600,000

Department of Correction		The Department of Correction (DOC), in conjunction with the Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM), will work to install two 1.65-MW turbines at the North Central Correctional Institution in Gardner (NCCI Gardner). NCCI Gardner is located on 20 acres of hillside near the Gardner/Westminster town line. DOC, DCAM, and NCCI Gardner are working together to adopt renewable energy to meet the facility’s energy needs, seeing it as a benefit to the taxpayers and to the environment. The proposed project will offset the electrical use at the site and provide additional electricity to the grid.
Building Type:	State
Technology:	Two 1.65-MW Wind Turbines
Award:	$1,200,000

Commonwealth Wind: Community-Scale Initiative

Feasibility Study Grants

Allen Farm

Allen Farm, a 100-acre farm located near the Atlantic Ocean on the south side of Martha’s Vineyard, is doing a study to determine the feasibility of erecting multiple 900-kW wind turbines to serve their current onsite electrical loads as well as the electrical loads created by a proposed community-supported agriculture program (CSA), in which customers contract for a share of a farmer’s production over the growing season. Allen Farm raises beef, lamb, and chicken, along with growing market greens in the winter. The farm’s goal is to study the feasibility of a wind project, serving to generate electricity based on the Massachusetts Electric Farm Model (farm-based wind turbines meeting on-site and remote electrical loads).

Building Type:

Farm

Technology:

900-kW Wind Turbine

Award:

$41,000

Cape Cod Academy

The Cape Cod Academy, a private, independent college preparatory school located in Osterville, will conduct a feasibility study to determine the viability of a 225-kW wind turbine on the School’s property. In a preliminary analysis, it was determined that a 225-kW turbine is the most appropriate fit for the Cape Cod Academy’s electrical demand.

Building Type:

Institution

Technology:

225-kW Wind Turbine

Award:

$20,000

Centerville-Osterville-Marston Mills (C-O-MM)		With a very large electric demand, the Centerville-Osterville-Marston Mills (C-O-MM) Fire District will investigate the potential for installing a community-scale wind turbine at the Hayden Wellfield site in Marston Mills. The site consists of a large area of undeveloped land containing seven pump stations accessible via a main road. The Wellfield site is run by the C-O-MM Water Department, a subsidiary of the C-O-MM Fire District. This feasibility study will focus on the installation of a single turbine, estimated at 900 kW in size, for the purpose of offsetting as much electrical load as possible for the Fire District and Water Department. The C-O-MM Fire District is hoping a wind energy project will help offset electricity demand, counteract rising energy costs, and promote environmental benefit.
Building Type:	Municipal
Technology:	900-kW Wind Turbine
Award:	$66,190

Colony Place		Colony Place, an outdoor shopping and lifestyle center in Plymouth, MA, will study the feasibility of installing a 750-kW wind turbine on the property. The 170-acre property, located adjacent to Route 44 and Route 3, is both highly visibility and experiences a considerable level of retail traffic. The owner intends to provide wind-generated energy to the center for environmental and overall cost benefits. The goal is to provide all common area electrical power and lighting, including onsite parking and roadway lighting, through wind-generated power. Colony Place, while only a few years in existence, continually reviews options to reduce consumption and stabilize energy costs.
Building Type:	Private
Technology:	750-kW Wind Turbine
Award:	$37,560

Falmouth Academy

Falmouth Academy, a small and rigorous academic day school for boys and girls in grades 7–12, will partner with EOS Ventures, LLC, to perform a feasibility study exploring the addition of a 100-kW wind turbine at their facility in Falmouth. If the feasibility study reveals that a wind project could be successful, EOS Ventures would develop and own the project. EOS Ventures would sell power to Falmouth Academy at an agreed-upon rate, which would be lower than what the school currently pays for electricity. The school currently has a 10-kW wind turbine installed on the campus (with assistance from the Trust) to help with the electric costs generated by the school’s operations. The educational value provided by this small wind turbine has inspired the school to look into the feasibility of a larger wind turbine. Partnering with EOS Ventures provides a means for Falmouth Academy to generate more on-site renewable electricity and experience long-term financial savings, without significant financial investment upfront.

Building Type:

Institutional

Technology:

100-kW Wind Turbine

Award:

$20,000

Up-Island Regional School District		Up-Island Regional School District, which serves the towns of Chilmark, Aquinnah, and West Tisbury on Martha’s Vineyard, will research the feasibility of installing a 250-kW wind turbine at the West Tisbury School. Given that the 14-acre school had 432,080-kWh of electric usage and peak demand of 112 kW in 2007, a 250-kW wind turbine will be a good match for the school’s load. The Up-Island Regional School District wishes to investigate whether the installation of a community-scale wind turbine is an option to help offset the West Tisbury School’s electricity demand and rising energy costs. In addition, the school will study the potential social and environmental benefits of the wind project.
Building Type:	Municipal
Technology:	250-kW Wind Turbine
Award:	$30,000