Perhaps you’ve seen the new wind turbine at New England Tech while driving on Route 95 in Warwick. Or perhaps you remember when the first commercial-scale wind turbine in Rhode Island was erected in 2005 at Portsmouth Abbey. Suddenly, everywhere you turn, on a national as well as local level, there is talk of renewable energy, and more specifically, wind energy. Rhode Island is currently in the planning stages of developing what could become one of the United States’ first offshore wind farms. But how does this affect YOU?
The term “Community Wind” does not simply refer to a warm and fuzzy, feel-good concept. Community Wind offers an unparalleled opportunity for a community to work together to provide tangible benefits to its own residents. When wind is harvested locally, the economic, social, and environmental advantages accrue to the members of the community. Community Wind promotes local ownership and energy independence for a community, in addition to stimulating the local economy and creating jobs within the community. Rhode Island’s net metering law provides an additional benefit: a town or city can produce electricity to meet its own needs and apply that energy to up to 10 different municipal accounts. For example, a wind turbine could be located at a transfer station or other town property, with the energy being utilized at a nearby school.
So, what IS Community Wind? The term refers to one or more wind turbines which are owned and operated by a community, whether through a municipality or a farming cooperative or other structure. The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) defines Community Wind as “Locally-owned, commercial-scale wind projects that optimize local benefits. Locally-owned means that one or more members of the local community has a significant direct financial stake in the project other than through land lease payments, tax revenue, or other payments in lieu of taxes.” Jack Levi, Co-chairman of National Wind, states that "[b]y focusing on local needs and local involvement, community projects form solid roots in the community and create strong local support. Community members really appreciate that, and utilities seem to value it as well."
The best example of Community Wind in Rhode Island is the new 1.5 Megawatt wind turbine located at Portsmouth High School, which became operational in late March of this year. As of September 1, 2009, the new turbine has generated over 1150 Megawatt Hours of Electricity, equating to approximately $178,000 for the town. The school department’s annual cost of electricity, approximately $360,000, is expected to be completely offset by the new turbine, with the excess being used for other municipal needs. In this way, municipally owned and operated wind energy systems provide direct benefits to the residents of their communities.
Other examples of Community Wind in our region can be seen in Hull, Massachusetts. Hull is served by a municipally owned utility company. In 2001, the town erected a 660 Kilowatt Wind turbine, which generated approximately 3% of the town's needs. In 2006, the town erected a second turbine (1.8 Megawatt) at another location, boosting the energy production to meet 10% of the town's needs. Citizen advocate Malcolm Brown, states "the Hull experience showed it is easier to win approval for wind projects if the benefits are enjoyed close to home, flowing to the local residents transparently and directly. This way the project is ours, not theirs. We’re the investors and we’re the beneficiaries. ... For those of us who live in Hull, it is reassuring to know, especially after the blackout, that part of our energy supply is generated right here, not subject to interruption or to escalating prices from companies and nations far away and entirely outside our control."
Those who view wind systems as unattractive may take a lesson from the history of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The Eiffel Tower was met with much criticism from the public when it was built, with many calling it an eyesore. Newspapers of the day were filled with angry letters from the arts community of Paris. One is quoted: “And during twenty years we shall see, stretching over the entire city, still thrilling with the genius of so many centuries, we shall see stretching out like a black blot the odious shadow of the odious column built up of riveted iron plates.” Today, the Eiffel Tower is widely considered to be a striking piece of structural art and is the most prominent symbol of Paris and France.
The South County Regional Energy Work Group (SCREWG) is currently researching potential community wind systems in North Kingstown, South Kingstown, Charlestown and Narragansett. A recent informational meeting held at the North Kingstown Free Library brought in approximately 60 residents eager to learn more about the prospects of a wind project in their community. Much needs to be done in the research and planning stages, but the results will show that wind turbines can indeed make great neighbors.
For more information, please visit www.southcountyenergy.org
Kara J. Kayarian, Esq.
South County Regional Energy Work Group |
