Truth about Town of Dartmouth Wind Turbines

[Kristen Burke]

http://www.env.state.ma.us/dpu/docs/electric/...

Ronald DiPippo, Ph.D.
RENEWABLE ENERGY CONSULTANT --GEOTHERMAL& WIND SPECIALIST
October 2, 2009

Re. DPU 09-71, 09-72, 09-73, 09-74 – Net Metering Tariff Comments from Town of Dartmouth Alternative Energy Committee

Dear Ms. Collins:

Too low a rate will make many of these projects uneconomic, killing them outright, and discouraging future projects.

The intent of the Green Communities Act and in particular the Net Metering Tariff was expected to fix this problem. Unfortunately, the draft Tariff as currently written fails to establish a coherent rate structure or objective standards for Rate Class setting. This, we believe, is a big problem for the following reasons:

1
1.
Finance plans for community wind projects do not have large margins and are predicated on locking in a favorable rate under the Tariff. These projects take a tremendous effort to get approved at the local and state levels. If the return is too small, communities will simply choose not to pursue these projects and instead focus on other initiatives;

2.
To satisfy lenders/bond issuers, as much uncertainty as possible needs to be eliminated as early as possible in the process, so a well-defined process is highly important;

3.
Forcing communities to negotiate with their distribution companies in an open-ended process adds an administrative/legal burden that many towns will have a hard time funding and many distribution companies would likely prefer not to be involved in;

4.
The distribution companies are entitled to cost recovery regardless of the Rate Class used, so specifying a favorable rate for community wind projects will not adversely impact the distribution companies financially;

5.
Establishing a single Rate Class sufficiently favorable to effectuate community wind and other eligible projects will not harm ratepayers. The primary goal of the Green Communities Act is to create an economic framework that allows renewable energy projects to be built, and moves us closer to meeting Renewable Portfolio Standard objectives..
6.
They may choose to be difficult, as has certainly been the case in other matters.

October 2008:

http://www.irecusa.org/fileadmin/user_upload/... .

Thank you for your consideration of these comments.
written signature of Ronald DiPippo, Ph. Dwritten signature of Ronald DiPippo, Ph. Dwritten signature of Ronald DiPippo, Ph. D

Ronald DiPippo, Ph.D.

Chairman, Dartmouth Alternative Energy Committee

Members of the Dartmouth Alternative Energy Committee:
Edward F. Iacaponi, Ex-Officio; Nathalie Dias, Kevern Joyce, Arthur Larrivee, Paul Lopes,
Raymond Medeiros, Roger Race, Saul Raposo and Joseph Sousa

[Bill Carson]

WASTE PLANT OUT OF CONTROL ??????????

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...

November 11, 2009 12:00 AM
DARTMOUTH — A building was marred and a machine was damaged beyond repair in a fire at the wastewater treatment plant at 759 Russells Mills Road on Tuesday.

According to Ed Cabral, a former deputy chief for Fire District 1, about 25 firefighters from Districts 2 and 1 battled the blaze, the first reporting to the scene at 1:30 p.m.

A tumbler machine used for chipping trees and shrubs was engulfed in flames. A nearby metal-framed building also caught fire and its siding was heavily damaged, Cabral said.

The state Department of Environmental Protection was on scene to evaluate the damage caused by fuel and oil leakage from the machine. The Fire Department used absorbents to contain the spill.

One firefighter was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and treated for smoke inhalation.

Damage to the building and the machine were estimated to be in excess of $200,000.

The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental, Cabral said.

Jennifer Lade