Harwich and the Massachusetts Technological Collaborative have funded the Weston & Sampson study to examine the feasibility of large-scale wind generation.
The locations under consideration are the water department property off Chatham Road, Harwich High School, Cranberry Valley Golf Course, the community center and the town landfill. The proposed sites range from 2.77 to 4.64 miles from Chatham Airport.
The FAA has issued a “notice of presumed hazard” stating its initial study indicates a 500-foot structure would “exceed obstruction standards and/or would have an adverse physical or electromagnetic interference effect upon navigable airspace or air navigation facilities.”
Four of the five locations are such that if the height of turbines is reduced so as not to exceed 129 feet above ground level, obstruction levels would not be exceeded.
As per the feasibility study, there are both adequate wind resources and a high demand for use of the generated electricity from wind turbines ranging from 600 (kW) to two megawatts. However, with the FAA height limitations, it is not technically feasible. The study also points out based on the data, a project under 600 kW “is not likely to be economically viable.”
“A third party ownership option, whereby the town would enter into a long term power purchase agreement, is also expected to provide a positive economic benefit, where the town pays a fixed rate for energy produced by a wind turbine,” the feasibility study stated.
A third party scenario would generate an estimated savings over 20 years of $926,043 for a 600 kilowatt turbine to $4,012,854 for a two megawatt turbine, the report states.
The study recommends Harwich to determine any alternative location which would not create a hazard to air navigation, gauge public support for a wind turbine, and determine what maximum size could be developed.
Town Administrator James Merriam and Barry Worth, Chairman of the utilities and energy conservation commission, met the planning board to discuss a draft of a bylaw that would allow large-scale wind generation.
Merriam told the board that so far land has not been found that provides the necessary height, but he said officials are looking at areas as far away from the airport as possible. The Punkhorn along with the town of Brewster was mentioned as a possible location for the project.
Merriam told the Planning board the town would also continue to pursue the findings of the FAA with regard to the air navigation issues. Worth pointed out Freeman’s Way in Brewster has an approved location.
“If LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark airports can be that close together we can have 150 more feet at the landfill,” Planning Board Chairman Matt McCaffery said of the FAA’s position.
“In my opinion we’ve got one shot at this,” Planning board member Timothy Klink said. “Once they’re up, you’ve changed the character of the town.”
But other members said there is no inducement for private entities to develop large-scale wind generation. McCaffery pointed out the town is the only entity likely to get the subsidies necessary to pursue wind energy generation.
