The CEC board of directors approved the grants totaling more than $2.5 million. Today’s awards includes design and construction grants for six new wind fatm projects totaling more than 12 megawatts (MW) in capacity, and 14 feasibility studies for wind energy that would total more than 13 MW in capacity if built.
The 20 grants go to public and private projects, educational institutions, cities and towns, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The Commonwealth Wind Community-Scale Wind initiative is a program of the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, which is funded by renewable energy charges on electric bills, generating roughly $24 million a year to support renewable energy installations and companies.
“Through the Community-Scale Wind initiative, the Trust supports the installation of wind turbines for private and public institutions as well as studies to determine the feasibility of wind power in additional locations,” said Trust Director Carter Wall.
The six projects receiving design and construction grants are in the towns of Charlton, Plymouth, Brewster, Harwich, and Milton. Awards for the 14 feasibility studies go to the town of Auburn, Bristol Community College, Chesterfield-Goshen Regional School District, Endicott College, the town of Gardner, Gordon College, the town of Lenox, the MBTA, Nantucket Public Schools, Spencer East Brookfield Regional School District, the town of Northborough, and the city of Salem.
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.
Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School (Charlton)
Building Type: Municipal
Technology: 900-kW Wind Turbine
Award: $399,000
Bay Path Regional Technical High School will build a 900 kilowatt (kW) turbine on the school campus in order to reduce electricity costs as well as to provide an educational tool for the students and community. The students that attend the school will gain firsthand knowledge of the project and will take valuable job related skills and experience into their professional lives. Most of the electricity generated will be consumed behind the meter and the balance will be eligible for net-metering.
Bay Path has been a multifunctional educational facility in operation since 1972. The school serves the diverse population of students from the Worcester County communities of Auburn, Charlton, Dudley, N. Brookfield, Oxford, Paxton, Rutland, Spencer, Southbridge and Webster.
Camelot Wind, LCC (Plymouth)
Building Type: Private
Technology: 1.65 MW Wind Turbine
Award: $240,000
The wind turbine will be installed at the Camelot Industrial Park and all power generated will be net-metered by the project owners. Camelot Wind, LLC is an entity which has been formed by members of the Plymouth community who are dedicated to seeking and commercializing new sources of renewable energy. The purpose of the project is to take advantage of the coastal wind resource in Plymouth to generate clean electricity.
Cape & Vineyard Electric Cooperative (Brewster)
Building Type: Municipal
Technology: 3,300-kW (2 Wind Turbines)
Award: $200,000
The town of Brewster will build two 1.65 megawatt (MW) wind turbines at Commerce Park, an industrial zoned area. The proposed wind turbines will provide power for the Town to offset electrical expenses and will be an economically meaningful renewable energy project for surrounding towns located on the Cape peninsula.
CVEC will own the turbines and will be responsible for financing, overseeing the overall design, permitting, construction, operation and maintenance of the project. The town will be the primary user of the electricity and the remaining kWh shall be allocated to CVEC member towns and counties under the MA Net Metering Regulations.
Cape & Vineyard Electric Cooperative (Harwich)
Building Type: Municipal
Technology: 3,000-kW (2 Wind Turbines)
Award: $200,000
The town of Harwich will build two 1.5 megawatt (MW) wind turbines at the Town Water Department. The proposed wind turbines will provide the majority of the town’s electricity needs and highlight the use of renewable energy for surrounding towns on the Cape peninsula.
CVEC will own the turbines and will be responsible for financing, overseeing the overall design, permitting, construction, operation and maintenance of the project.
Harwich will be the primary user of the output. The remaining kWh shall be allocated to CVEC member towns and counties under the MA Net Metering Regulations.
Masonic Health System of MA (Charlton)
Building Type: Municipal
Technology: 1.5 MW Wind Turbine
Award: $266,000
The Masonic Health System (MHS) of Massachusetts consists of the of the Overlook Life Care Community, Overlook Masonic Health Center, Overlook Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice Services on a 400+ acre campus in Charlton. The MHS site has a strong wind resource and the turbine output is projected to satisfy 40% of the total electricity demand of the MHS campus. All of the wind generated electricity will be used by the facility through a combination of behind the meter usage and net metering.
Town of Milton
Building Type: Municipal
Technology: 2 MW Wind Turbine
Award: $399,000
The town of Milton will proceed with the design and construction of a 2 MW wind turbine on a town-owned parcel. The wind project, known as Milton Wind Energy Facility, will provide up to 2 megawatts (MW) of wind-generated capacity and will be interconnected to the NStar distribution system as a net metering project, in accordance with the Green Communities Act, with all of the electricity used within the town. The electricity generated by the turbine with be used to offset electricity usage at town and public school facilities.
Commonwealth Wind: Community-Scale Initiative
Feasibility Study Grants
Town of Auburn
Building Type: Municipal
Technology: 900 kW Wind Turbine
Award: $85,000
The town of Auburn, Massachusetts will pursue a feasibility study exploring the development of a 900 kilowatt (kW) wind turbine on town-owned land. The town is interested in using wind power to offset the expense of rising energy costs that are consuming an increasing share of the municipal budget. The town has selected a site at Prospect Hill – Granger Cliffs because of its wind resource profile and land availability. The feasibility study will include analyses of buildability, economics, interconnection, and permitting.
Bristol Community College (Fall River)
Building Type: State Institution
Technology: 1.5 MW Wind Turbine
Award: $65,000
Bristol Community College (BCC) is investigating the feasibility of installing a 1.5 megawatt (MW) turbine generator to help offset the energy costs for the college.
BCC, a two-year comprehensive community college offering associate degree programs, made a pledge to achieve climate neutrality to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). The college is also a participant in the Massachusetts Leading By Example (LBE) program.
Chesterfield-Goshen Regional School District (Chesterfield)
Building Type: Municipal
Technology: 100 kW-225 kW Wind Turbine
Award: $30,000
The Hillside Resource Management Cooperative (HMRC), on behalf of the Chesterfield-Goshen Regional School District, is conducting a feasibility study to determine the viability of a wind turbine at New Hingham Regional Elementary School. The wind turbine, expected to be in the 100 kilowatt (kW) to 225 kW range, will generate more than enough electricity to meet the Elementary School’s load, and the school intends to net meter the excess electricity. Installing a turbine would support several of the school district’s goals, including reducing greenhouse gases, promoting sustainability, and providing a valuable educational tool for area students.
Endicott College (Beverly)
Building Type: Institution
Technology: 1.5 MW Wind Turbine
Award: $32,000
Endicott College will investigate the feasibility of installing a 1.5 megawatt (MW) turbine on their campus property. Endicott is a private co-educational college offering Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in several areas of study. The campus comprises 230 acres, with more than 50% of the property consisting of forested land. A turbine would support the College’s goals of reducing energy consumption, producing on-site clean energy, and providing an educational resource for its students.
City of Gardner
Building Type: Municipal
Technology: 600 kW -1.5 MW Wind Turbine
Award: $50,420
The city of Gardner is pursuing a feasibility study for a utility-scale turbine as part of their ongoing effort to become a Massachusetts Green Community. In addition, the city wishes to reduce its energy costs. The study will use existing wind data from the nearby North Central Correction Institute to evaluate the potential for installing a wind turbine in the 600 kilowatt (kW) – 1.5 megawatt (MW) range at the 20-acre Summit Industrial Park.
Gordon College (Wenham)
Building Type: Private Institution
Technology: 1MW-2 MW Wind Turbine
Award: $53,000
Gordon College is evaluating the feasibility of installing a megawatt (MW)-scale turbine. The project site is an undeveloped, wooded area located approximately ½ mile to the east of the main campus. The study will include an analysis of turbine performance at the site including wind resource assessment, financial analysis, and site feasibility analysis and a permitting plan.
Town of Lenox
Building Type: Municipal
Technology: One to Two 1.5 MW Wind Turbines
Award: $79,000
The town of Lenox, Massachusetts will pursue the feasibility of installing one or two wind turbine generators on town-owned land. The study will evaluate the potential for installing one or two 1.5 megawatt (MW) wind turbines to generate enough electricity to offset a majority of the town’s Municipal Water Treatment Plant demand. The town of Lenox is committed to sustainability and is working with 12 towns in the region for designation as a Massachusetts Green Community.
MBTA (Bridgewater)
Building Type: State
Technology: 1.5 MW Wind Turbine
Award: $85,000
The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority will conduct a technical and economic feasibility study to determine the viability of a 1.5 MW wind turbine on MBTA-owned property at a remote track location and railroad crossing near Titicut Street. The study is intended to assist the MBTA in taking a lead role in the Commonwealth’s drive to develop renewable energy and to leverage real estate holdings to promote non-fare revenues. The intent of this project is to supply net metering credits from the turbine to other MBTA meters as allowed by the Green Communities Act.
MBTA (Scituate)
Building Type: State
Technology: 600 kW-900 kW Wind Turbine
Award: $65,000
The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority will conduct a technical and economic feasibility study to determine the viability of a 600kW to 900 kW wind turbine installation on MBTA-owned property at the Greenbush Commuter Rail Layover Facility. The study is intended to assist the MBTA in taking a lead role in the Commonwealth’s drive to develop renewable energy and to leverage real estate holdings to promote non-fare revenues. The intent of this project is to fulfill the facility’s energy demands and net meter excess production to other MBTA facilities/meters as allowed by the Green Communities Act.
Nantucket Public Schools
Building Type: Municipal
Technology: 100 kW Wind Turbine
Award: $20,916
The Nantucket Public School District plans to install a single Northwind 100 wind turbine at the periphery of the Nantucket High School’s playing fields. The turbine installation will offer a significant educational experience for the students of Nantucket High School that is intended for replication. The site is on a large flat area, with low structures and vegetation and a high wind profile. The 100 kilowatt (kW) wind turbine is expected to supplement the school’s projected annual consumption by providing approximately 20% of the electricity needed.
Town of Northborough
Building Type: Municipal
Technology: 900 kW or larger Wind Turbine
Award: $85,000
The town of Northborough plans to perform an in-depth feasibility study exploring the installation of a wind turbine that will be net metered to serve municipal loads and offset electrical utility expenses. Mt. Pisgah, Davidian Bros. Farm, and Tougas Farm will be the three locations evaluated for wind energy potential in the feasibility phase. The Town has negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding for a met tower at the Tougas Farm location. Due to the minimal distance to the other locations, this collected wind data should provide accurate data for modeling all sites under consideration.
City of Salem
Building Type: Municipal
Technology: 1.5 MW Wind Turbine
Award: $65,000
The City of Salem will evaluate the feasibility of installing a 1.5 megawatt (MW) Wind Turbine Generator to reduce the City’s energy consumption and bring sustainable energy production to the City. The turbine site to be studied is on Winter Island, a Marine Recreational Park owned and maintained by the City of Salem. The park is in operation all year round providing campsites for recreational vehicles, a boat launch, picnic areas, a bath house and a small beach.
Winter Island is located in the northeast portion of the City of Salem, just past the Salem Willows Park and the Salem Power Plant, in Salem Harbor. The site has an approximate area of 27.1 acres and the buildings on the site are for municipal use.
Spencer East Brookfield Regional School District
Building Type: Municipal
Technology: 600 kW Wind Turbine
Award: $75,000
The School Committee for the Spencer–East Brookfield Regional School District (SEBRSD) will evaluate the potential for a wind energy project at the David Prouty High School site, owned by SEBRSD and located in the Town of Spencer. A 600 kilowatt (kW) wind turbine was selected for this feasibility study and the wind resource will be evaluated at several hub heights ranging from 50 to 70 meters. Depending upon the final selected hub height, it is estimated that between 50 to 65 percent of the power produced by the turbine would be consumed behind the meter.
Town of Yarmouth
Building Type: Municipal
Technology: 600 kW Wind Turbine
Award: $45,000
The Department of Public Works (DPW) Water Division Headquarters, the site of the town’s new wastewater treatment facility (WWTF), is to be studied for a possible wind turbine project. A meteorological tower was constructed on-site in August 2009 to collect a year’s worth of wind data because this site is thought to be favorable with respect to the wind resource.
The new WWTF construction will be completed in Fall 2013. It is proposed that the feasibility study, design, and construction of the wind turbine take place concurrently with the WWTF development so that both facilities are brought online around the same time. A 600 kilowatt (kW) turbine is intended for the site and is projected to produce 36% of the energy consumed by the WWTF once all phases of construction are complete.
Created by the Green Jobs Act of 2008, the CEC’s mission is to foster growth of the Massachusetts clean energy industry through seed grants to companies, universities, and nonprofit organizations; job training programs; and workforce development grants. The CEC is also home to the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, which supports the installation of renewable energy technologies with funds provided by small renewable energy charges on electric bills.
