Wind Energy and Middleboro

Ryan Adams did a nice job explaining progress on wind energy:

My, How the Winds are Changing...
Good news all around.
After years of study, Hull officials are now seeking approval of state environmental regulators to install four wind turbines, each about 430 feet high, in ocean waters about a mile and a half east of Nantasket Beach.Ian A. Bowles, the state secretary of energy and environmental affairs and a wind-power advocate, could approve the project as soon as Feb. 6 or order further environmental studies. There's almost no resistance to Hull's proposal because, guess what, wind turbines make complete sense. Hull will be the first town in Massachusetts to power their entire town by wind-powered renewable energy. Note Hull has a municipal electric company, something that has given Hull much more flexibility in deciding how it'll create it's electricity. Other towns with a municipal system have been aggressive in trying to create wind turbines, such as Rowley and Princeton, which is replacing their 1980s era wind turbines soon. I'm guessing these coincidences probably aren't really coincidences at all (never mind the fact that municipal electric companies tend to be much cheaper than buying private power). Anyone keeping score? Cape Wind passed its biggest hurdle, while towns like Hull and Princeton are showing true leadership in regards to renewable energy. Meanwhile, the state's second large wind farm, the Dartmouth/Mattapoisett project, will hopefully soon follow Cape Wind's suit. Maybe Massachusetts will meet its renewable energy goals after all. Lets hope all these green projects - and many more - are built as quick as humanly possible.

Consider sending an email in support of CapeWind through environmentmassachusetts.

You can subscribe to the site, as well as find invaluable information.

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Is it time for Middleboro to address the issue?

The Whining Kennedys, yet again?

The whining wealthy just can't seem to stop finding excuses to oppose Cape Wind.

Isn't it time for Rep. Patrick to just GET OVER IT?

If the current argument now includes impact on fishing, what exactly will the impacts of a major oil spill have on fishing?

We should be working together to aggressively erect wind turbines in viable coastal areas and mountains to ensure affordable, pollution free energy for consumers.

Yes, there are a few environmental issues that have been raised elsewhere that have been addressed. Cape Wind? Not so!

Massachusetts SHOULD BE leading New England, not allowing the NIMBY wealthy to protect their pristine views.

Kennedy: Wind farm would harm tourism, fishing

PAWTUCKET — Rep. Patrick Kennedy said yesterday that a wind farm located in Rhode Island waters between Newport and Block Island would be a bad idea because it would hurt the state’s tourism and fishing industries.
Those waterways are frequently used by people who sail between the two locations for recreation and racing, said Kennedy, a recreational sailor. ProvidenceJournal

Energy -- Solar and Wind

As the Massachusetts Energy Bill gets hashed out in committee, the final product will reveal if consumers win or whether the wealthy will prevail in protecting their pristine views, environment be damned!

Whose side are they really on?

Will Massachusetts compete with the rest of New England and support coastal wind development?

And what of solar?

Do you think Middleboro will ever notice?


A Solar Grand Plan
By 2050 solar power could end U.S. dependence on foreign oil and slash greenhouse gas emissions
By Ken Zweibel, James Mason and Vasilis Fthenakis

High prices for gasoline and home heating oil are here to stay. The U.S. is at war in the Middle East at least in part to protect its foreign oil interests. And as China, India and other nations rapidly increase their demand for fossil fuels, future fighting over energy looms large. In the meantime, power plants that burn coal, oil and natural gas, as well as vehicles everywhere, continue to pour millions of tons of pollutants and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere annually, threatening the planet. Scientific American

Regulators to debate two W. Maine wind-power projects
By Glenn Adams, Associated Press Writer January 13, 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine --With Maine's spot as New England's largest generator of wind power already well-established, state regulators on Monday will consider two more projects that would produce enough clean power to keep the lights glowing and toasters cooking in more 70,000 homes.

As of now, all of the remaining five New England states have a total of 13 megawatts of installed wind power, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Noteworthy among the region's proposed projects is the 468 megawatt Cape Winds project off Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
By comparison, New York has 390 megawatts of installed wind power, California 2,376 and Texas, the nation's leader, 3,953, according to AWEA. BostonGlobe

Not in Middleboro! #2

Brewster has an alternative energy committee? Impressive!
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Not in Middleboro!
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Brewster - Alternative energy for town hall may not be financially viable, but voters at the spring town meeting will still have a chance to weigh in on it.

Reporting to selectmen this week, John Cunningham of the alternative energy committee said most of the options the committee looked at for replacing town hall’s aging boiler had very long “payback” periods – the amount of time energy savings would make up for the initial cost...... CapeCodder

Not in Middleboro!

Middleboro Selectmen successfully delayed mailing real estate tax bills more than two months by their failure to act.

First there was the grab bag Special Town Meeting that spent most of the piggy bank on November 5, 2007, knowing the ladder truck had been taken out of service on September 15 and a leaking school roof can't be postponed much longer. And then there's the water rate increase the retiring Town Manager called to their attention months earlier.

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Maybe they were so convinced they would loose the 9/29 Recall Election, they ignored their responsibilities.

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Big Leagues, Mr. Spartaro? Or Abbott and Costello?

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Other towns are moving forward. Guess you hadn't noticed, Mr. Spartaro.

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In case you missed it, CCT is reporting a GRASSROOTS initiative in Yarmouth.

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Is that what is required to force Middleboro Selectmen to act on anything?

Yarmouth Town Hall Goes Solar this week SolarWrights installs town's first renewable energy system
An Orleans renewable energy company reported today that the installation of a new renewable energy system consisting of 60 photovoltaic modules on the roof of Yarmouth Town Hall will be completed this week. The project is being done by Liz Argo, project manager and Massachusetts state director of SolarWrights, Inc., a Bristol, Rhode Island-based renewable energy provider with offices in Orleans.
The environmental benefits are equivalent to planting three acres of trees. The final commissioning of the photovoltaic electricity system will be done by the end of the month making the Town of Yarmouth a leader in taking the important first steps into the renewable energy age.
Grassroots made the town green. The effort was first conceived by Peter White of Yarmouth. He led a grassroots movement which placed an article on last May's Town Meeting ballot. Yarmouth voters affirmed their desire to "go green" by voting overwhelmingly to appropriate $50,000 towards the installation of photovoltaic modules on the roof of their Town Hall. The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) matched the Town's funds with an additional $50,000 through the MTC's Small Renewables Initiative grant. By October the Town had released its Request for Proposals and the Town's first renewable energy system was on its way to becoming a reality."This 10.5kW photovoltaic system is an important first step in reducing the Town's reliance on fossil fuels," according to Argo. "This grid-tied PV electrical system will offset around 13,000kWH (kilowatthours) of electricity every year from the Town's electrical bills. With current prices of 20 cents per kilowatthour that will equal $2,600 the taxpayers will save on the price of electricity every year. As electric prices go up, the savings will be far more significant. Additional revenue will be realized by the Town's sale of their Renewable Energy Credits or RECs", added Argo.To some residents the real success story of the Yarmouth Town Hall lies in the environmental benefits the renewable energy system will offer. Along with reducing the production off Nitrous Oxides and Sulfur Dioxide, the 10.5kW PV installation will eliminate 20,620 lbs of Carbon Dioxide from entering our atmosphere every year. These environmental benefits are equivalent to planting three acres of trees. CCT

Energy Savings? Not in Middleboro!

Taunton saved $570,000 on energy costs.

Other communities have done the same.

But not Middleboro!

Predictions are that oil prices will continue to escalate which should come as little surprise given an oil-friendly Administration in Washington and their willingness to de-stabilize the Middle East.

The failure to address the issue on a local level successfully creates a double whammy for taxpayers struggling with their personal rising energy costs and reducing their household consumption, nary a word is heard from those in elected positions in Middleboro.

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It appears that those who offer rosy promises of leadership when campaigning, drink the Kool Aid once elected, and surrender to the rudderless who accomplish little.

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The current Board of Selectmen discussed Quarterly Tax Billing in 2003, but have failed to act. And they have done much the same on a multitude of other issues.

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And what of the School Department that is a major municipal consumer?

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What do we do to effect leadership?

Oil Traders Eye $100 Crude Next Year
By JOHN WILEN –
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices headed slightly lower Monday, marking a quiet end to a record-breaking year, although rising demand and geopolitical instability are expected to keep upward pressure on energy costs early in 2008. AP

Crude Oil Slips By 2 Cents But Closes Year Up 57%
Monday, December 31, 2007 3:55:20 PM - Crude oil prices closed slightly lower on Monday, adding to Friday's modest decline. Light sweet crude for February delivery finished at $95.98, down 2 cents on the final session of 2007. Oil closed the year up $34.93 or 57% from the end of 2006. RTTNews

Pakistan unrest lifts oil prices
LONDON (AFP) — Oil prices rose solidly on Monday, pushed higher by concerns about instability in Pakistan and tensions on the Turkish border with oil-rich Iraq, dealers said

Massachusetts Energy Legislation

CCT EXTRA reports the following regarding important energy legislation as it winds its way through the legislative process:


Sanctuary amendment dropped from energy bill
By David Kibbe
Ottaway News Service
Massachusetts Senate leaders have drafted an energy bill that drops a House amendment to open Buzzards Bay and other ocean sanctuaries to what critics say would be unlimited renewable energy development. Inquirer & Mirror

Another filing Friday to override Cape Cod Commission
A formality in the process to undo a commission misstep Patriot Ledger

Wind Turbine

It appears that the skyline on CERTAIN coastal properties will be dotted with wind turbines that benefit the select few, while the wealthy few continue to fight Cape Wind.

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One must wonder when the Kennedys and Christy Mihos will drop the pretense of their opposition to Cape Wind and support widespread development to benefit consumers.

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And, on a local level, isn't it time for Middleboro Selectmen and the Middleboro G&E to start talking about ENERGY ?

Wind power at Massachusetts Military Reservation
By Jim Liedell
A big step to save taxpayer money and reduce harmful air emissions. The Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment (AFCEE) recently announced that a new large (389 feet high to highest blade tip, 1,500-kilowatt capacity) wind turbine will be up and operating within two years, at the southwest corner of the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR).

The world can't wait for George Bush

Public protests and condemnation forced modifications in Bali and in Washington.

Democratic Senate leadership was forced to strip important provisions from the energy bill by Republicans owned by energy interests and an out-of-touch Administration:

Senate Energy Bill Establishes Breakthrough Fuel Economy and Fuels StandardsRenewable Energy Development in Limbo
WASHINGTON (December 13, 2007) – In an 86 to 8 vote, the Senate today passed a landmark energy bill strengthening vehicle fuel economy standards for the first time in 30 years and requiring a significant increase in biofuel production. Lawmakers twice failed to muster the necessary 60 votes to end debate on more comprehensive legislation including renewable energy standards and tax incentives. So to avoid a filibuster and a veto by the White House, Senate leadership moved forward with a trimmed down bill, which is expected to pass early next week in the House before going to President Bush to be signed into law. UCS

DetroitFreePress

I am reminded that 20 years ago, we owned a vehicle that got 40 MPG. 10 years ago, we owned a vehicle that got 60 MPG. The auto industry and lawmakers seem to have sacrificed the consumer and the environment.

The Independent offered excerpts of Al Gore's speech:

Al Gore: The world can't wait for George Bush

Bali climate change summit hears a passionate appeal for action by the Nobel Prize-winner
Published: 14 December 2007
We, the human species, face a planetary emergency. That phrase still sounds shrill to some ears but it is deadly accurate as a description of the situation that we now confront.

They'll look back, and either they will ask "What were you thinking? Didn't you hear the IPCC four times unanimously warning the world to act? Didn't you see the glaciers melting? Didn't you see the deserts growing, and the droughts deepening, and the crops drying up? Didn't you pay attention to what was going on? Didn't you care? What were you thinking?"

Or they'll ask a second question, one that I'd much prefer them to ask. I want them to look back on this time, and ask: "How did you find the moral courage to successfully address a crisis that so many said was impossible? How were you able to start the process that unleashed the moral imagination of humankind to see ourselves as a single, global civilisation?" And when they ask that question, I want you to tell them that you saw it as a privilege to be alive at a moment when a relatively small group of people could control the destiny of all generations to come.

IndependentUK





Reuters





BBC





NYT





Bloomberg

Nations Set Timetable to Revive Climate Treaty

Fuel Economy: The Single Most Effective Step for Cutting Oil Dependence

Big Coal's Dirty Plans for Our Energy Future (with shocking photos) LINK

Just as the American people and the world are beginning to recognize the necessity of shifting to renewable energies, Big Coal, in collusion with an out-of-step administration, is pushing their dirty fossil fuel as the solution to our nation's energy crisis.

Energy Bill Update: Senate Approves Compromise Legislation

EMCORE to Supply Solar Systems in Canada

GE Energy Completes Wind and Solar Deals

Xcel Energy Announces 1,000th MW of Wind in Minnesota

PacWind Delta II Turbines Make Silent Leaps of Progression

Blue Mass Group

Other cities and towns are seeking alternatives, attempting to reduce their municipal consumption. And Middleboro? It might seem that the Selectmen are more interested in adjourning their meetings early than fulfilling their responsibilities.

Wind

The 12/6/07 Middleboro Gazette published a letter to the editor written by Kevin J. Cook that filled half the page promoting wind energy in Middleboro.

While I'm highly critical of the Cape Cod Commission and the legislature for their inaction in aggressively supporting coastal wind development, the feasibility of wind energy was not within my consideration when criticizing the Middleboro Board of Selectmen's inactions.

After reading Mr. Cook's letter, which itemizes solely coastal communities with prevailing winds, a little google searching provided the information listed below.

It appears from the DOE maps, that mountains and coastal zones are the appropriate locations for wind energy generation.

Should the G&E pursue a joint coastal venture with other communities more appropriately situated, it would appear a progressive solution.

As is pointed out in pingswept, reducing energy consumption should be the beginning, but falls sadly short, and is totally ignored by the Middleboro BOS.

This map indicates that Massachusetts has wind resources consistent with utility-scale production. Excellent-to-outstanding resource is located on the northern part of Cape Cod and good-to-excellent areas are found in the southern part of Cape Cod and along the shore of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Particular ridge crest locations of the Berkshires in western Massachusetts also have excellent wind resource. DOE

TrueWind

The outcry against Cape Wind is a travesty. It comes down to an unpleasant choice of how we get the energy we need. We have to satisfy our rising energy needs somehow. If you’re opposed to using local energy sources to fulfill our energy needs, you have to be in favor of either reduction of our energy needs (which have been strictly increasing for all of recorded history) or getting the energy from somewhere else.
The first choice, reducing energy consumption, requires either widespread, voluntary efficiency gains among the populace, forced efficiency gains via government intervention, or the arrival of the hard times. I think it would be imprudent to plan on any of those events occurring. Our understanding of efficiency improvements falls vastly short of what we need. Even the NPR-listening Prius drivers among us are making decisions around the level of 20% improvements by 10% of the population, while the population continues to increase. We’re excited about skyscrapers with green roofs, which collect water for irrigation of the plants in the lobby, and building-integrated solar, which can supply maybe 1% of the heating and cooling requirements of the building. We’re not thinking about changes on the level of, “You don’t get to heat your house in the winter any more.” pingswept

MilfordDailyNews

Aquinnah

Changes may buoy Cape Wind project

Wind turbines 'could fuel all homes by 2020'

Wind energy expansion unveiled

Off-Shore Wind Could Power All U.K. Homes

Energy Resources

Several years ago, Cooper Hewitt in New York hosted a photovoltaics exhibition. PV are solar panels that generate electricity.

When asked about the cost of installation, the architect's first comment was that the household energy requirement had to be reduced to the lowest possible level.

He didn't mean to sit in the dark, pump water by hand from a well, or eliminate the amenities we're accustomed to.

His intent was to mandate personal responsibility to reduce energy consumption by employing the most energy efficient technology prior to considering photovoltaics.

Previous posts offer some basic tips, but an internet search provides an endless array of ideas and sources.

It is frequently striking that those who complain about high energy costs, haven't installed CFLs (compact fluorescent lights) or taken any action to reduce their consumption. Since lighting accounts for ~ 15% of household energy consumption, it's an inexpensive place to start. CFLs have declined drastically in price and a wider selection of sizes and uses are available. Or those who have windows that remain uncovered.

And the silence from the Middleboro Board of Selectmen continues to amaze.

Effective Energy Policy requires an integrated approach: 1. Municipal and Household energy reduction; 2. Employment of appropriate alternatives by municipalities and households; 3. Construction of Alternative Energy Sources, as just the beginning.

Understanding the surrounding issues and creating a dialogue is of utmost importance for our survival.

UAW supports major boost in fuel economy standards; compromise bill includes safeguards for U.S. auto manufacturing jobs
The UAW “strongly supports” new fuel economy provisions in energy legislation being considered by Congress, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said today.
“The UAW strongly supports this historic bill, which contains aggressive but still achievable fuel economy requirements,” said Gettelfinger. “It will help consumers and the environment, and at the same time protect U.S. jobs.” UAW

Broad Energy Bill Passed by House
Car Mileage, Renewable Power Addressed
By Jonathan Weisman and Steven MufsonWashington Post Staff Writers Friday, December 7, 2007; Page A01
The House yesterday brushed aside a new White House veto threat and handily approved a comprehensive energy bill that would raise automobile fuel-efficiency standards for the first time in 32 years and require increased use of renewable energy sources to generate electricity.
The 235 to 181 vote sends the measure to the Senate today. There, Republicans hope to strip it of tax increases on the oil industry and the renewable-source requirement before a final version goes to President Bush. The White House objects to the bill on multiple fronts, including the prospect of tax boosts on oil companies, saying Bush would veto it. WP LATimes SFChronicle AP Reuters

Renewable Energy

Bissfield Michigan Home, Model of Sustainability, Earns LEEDS Platinum
RELATED ARTICLES
Wisconsin Leopold Center Earns LEED Platinum
LEED Delivers on Predicted Energy Savings
Group to Create Rating System for Landscapes
High-Tech, Solar-Powered Homes Coming to the National Mall for the Department of Energy’s 3rd Solar Decathlon /top_stories/article/26592
Blissfield, Michigan - Michigan’s first platinum-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) award has been given to “Burnside’s Inn,” a home designed by Riverbend Timber Framing, Blissfield, and built by Robert Burnside’s Fireside Home Construction, Dexter. ENN

Inaction on greener buildings puzzle experts
They said the technology already existed to dramatically cut electricity use for very little cost, and yet it was puzzling that governments, industries and home-owners weren't cashing in on the energy-saving ideas.

"The entire current emission reductions commitment under the Kyoto Protocol can be achieved in the building sector alone. And the costs of achieving these reductions are low, very low."
ENN Reuters

U.S. Emissions Reductions May Be Cheaper Than Thought
The report predicts that mitigation efforts will cost less than $50 per ton of greenhouse gas emissions, or an amount in the tens of billions of dollars overall. One reason for the lower cost, explains Stevenson, is because the United States currently wastes large amounts of energy, and simple changes could make the country vastly more efficient. ENN

Tanker Leaks Oil Off S.Korea Coast
By Jack Kim
SEOUL (Reuters) - A large oil tanker gushed thousands of tons of oil into the sea near one of South Korea's most scenic coastlines after being hit by a barge, South Korea's maritime ministry said on Friday.
The Hong Kong-registered Hebei Spirit was struck while at anchor off Daesan port in the Taean region on the country's west coast and the ministry said it had already leaked some 10,800 metric tons of crude oil. ENN USAToday Reuters Bloomberg AFP

Gash Found on Vessel's Cargo Tank after Delaware River Oil Spill
PHILADELPHIA − Divers found a six-foot gash on the tanker that leaked 30,000 gallons of crude oil into the Delaware River, creating a 20-mile-long slick that killed dozens of birds and threatened other wildlife, officials said Sunday. ENN

NewAmericanDreamHome

Greens Take Heart at Final Energy Bill By Kelpie Wilson
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans have literally declared war on the bill. Sen. Pete Domenici said, "If it comes over here, we have no alternative but to have war." In other words, a filibuster. And President Bush has warned he is likely to veto the bill if it does pass the Senate.
Senate Republicans have drawn the line on two provisions: the Renewable Electricity Standard and the $21 billion tax package that will fund the bill, especially the $13.5 billion in higher taxes on oil companies. Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, of Texas, was the one who put a hold on the bill back in October, preventing the appointment of a conference committee. She called the tax increase "discrimination against one industry." Hutchison received $2,029,825 in contributions from the oil and gas industries in 2006. TO

'The biggest environmental crime in history'

FOE

Rewarding Polluters

Bali Conference: Diplomats warned that climate change is security issue, not a green dilemma

NYT: Oil-Rich Nations Use More Energy, Cutting Exports

It's time to lobby for renewable energy

CapeWind

NewDream/JunkMail

Reduce Junk Mail

This Week In Congress
House Passes Energy Bill

Wave Energy Deal in Rhode Island

CCT reports the first WAVE ENERGY project agreement signed by Rhode Island to stabilize energy costs. The Block Island Times offers a more indepth explanation of the technology:

$45 mill wave energy deal signed
By Pippa Jack • Monday, December 3, 2007 12:04 PM EST
Block Island finds itself at the center of initiatives in both wave and wind energy that are meeting with mixed reactions from the state. Governor Donald Carcieri is to announce the signing of an agreement between the state Office of Energy Resources, the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation and wave energy company Oceanlinx Limited to create two wave energy plants in Rhode Island coastal waters, including a pilot plant off Block Island that could reduce island electric rates. BlockIslandTimes

Shouldn't Massachusetts be leading the way with alternative energy and technology?

Politics, Energy, Vested Interests, Consumers Come Last

Keep watching the unfolding saga of wind energy, Boston-style to see if the consumer (you) wins in this deal.

It's interesting that those who protest the potential of some to profit, were silent when a Republican

Congress repealed PUHCA which prohibited foreigners from owning utilities, inter alia.

Were it not for the wealthy few who have fought Cape Wind, this would have/should have been a done deal by now.

Other states will move ahead, as they already have, while the few wealthy stifle wind development to preserve their ocean view in the Commonwealth. Other states are offering low interest loans, grants and incentives. And Massachusetts?

And Middleboro remains in the Dark Ages with no energy policy beyond pass it along to the taxpayer.

Rigging in the wind

By Peter Kenney The smart money knew the fix was in two years ago when word started circulating that construction mogul Jay Cashman would move to erect a 120-unit wind farm in Buzzards Bay. Cashman’s proposal meant building entirely within state waters. And since, at that point, Cape Wind’s Jim Gordon had been jumping through million-dollar hoops for four years to avoid siting any of his 130 wind turbines where the Commonwealth would have the power to deny his application, the Cashman deal smacked of old fashioned Boston politics...rigged. CCT

Has anyone heard 'Energy' mentioned in Middleboro?

Northampton ranks No. 1 in state survey
Posted by The Republican Newsroom November 24, 2007 15:22PM
By FRED CONTRADA

NORTHAMPTON - For the fourth consecutive year, Northampton has earned the highest score on a state report card that measures community commitment to sustainability and smart growth. The city scored 131 out of a possible 140 points on the Commonwealth Capital Application, which assesses commitment to protecting open space, promoting clean energy, expanding housing opportunities and other topics related to sustaining quality of life and preserving the environment. The town of Barnstable on Cape Cod had the next highest score, 117. Wayne M. Feiden, the city's planning director, said Northampton's high achievement on the test has the practical benefit of pushing it to the front of the line for state funding. The city recently received a $470,000 Self Help grant from the state to help it purchase 72 acres of open space near the Mineral Hills Conservation Area and Feiden said that its high ranking in the Commonwealth Capital program accounted for 40 percent of its score on the competitive Self Help application. Its high marks have also benefited the city in applying for development money for the Village Hill Northampton project, he said.

Group opposing wind farm off Cape saw big drop in contributions in '06
By Stephanie Ebbert
Globe Staff / November 25, 2007
Times are tight for opponents of a Nantucket Sound wind farm: Last year, contributions to the cause were less than half the amounts raised in each of the two prior years.
more stories like this
Math, science teachers use hands-on lessons in Mass. suburbs
Edwards offers immediate, future fixes for high heating oil costs
Cape Wind seeks to skip local permit battles
Brockton fights for leverage to block power plant
Company proposes hundreds of wind turbines off R.I. coast

The Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, the group fighting the development of a 130-turbine wind farm off the Cape and Islands, raised little more than $2 million in 2006, according to federal tax filings required of the nonprofit and submitted this month.
on legal fees, and $126,072 on travel costs. BOSTON GLOBE

Hope for Cape Wind?

The Boston Globe reports Cape Wind's attempt to move forward over the opposition of a small number of wealthy Cape residents who don't want their view spoiled. It might be hoped that the needs of consumers win over the needs of the spoiled.

It is curious to note Mr. Mihos' laudable efforts, but one is reminded of his 'cartoon' campaign commercial with that curious popping sound. Perhaps we can expect Mr. Mihos to experience an epiphany and actively support widespread offshore wind farms.

Cape Wind appeals ruling that blocked wind farm in Nantucket Sound

32-page petition seeks would overturn a decision by the Cape Cod Commission Cape Wind Associates today asked a state energy panel to overrule a decision by the Cape Cod Commission that blocked a plan to build a 130-turbine wind farm in Nantucket Sound. Cape Wind asked the state to green-light the project and approve all state and local permits needed for constructing the turbines.

http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/EXTRA/2007/11/21/
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2007/11/cape_wind_appea.html

First of several Christy's Markets converts to renewable wind power Christy's will mean "renewable, cutting-edge technology" to Cape travelers

http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/headlines/2007/11/21/christy_goes_renewable_today

Who owns your elected officials?

After watching a community held hostage to international casino investors who also happen to be generous campaign contributors (oops!), the Cape Cod Commission cowing to wealthy Cape residents averse to a view spoiled by wind turbines, Congressman Patrick Kennedy sputtering his opposition, and Massachusetts legislators lining up their opposition to the pending energy bill that's LONG OVERDUE & doesn't go far enough, I am forced to wonder 'Who owns your elected officials?'

Did we, as voters, allow them to be purchased by campaign contributions because we haven't paid enough attention or been active enough to assure a voice at the table?

When increased CAFE standards are discussed, the lobbyists rally, batter proponents because they wield the well-funded stash of campaign funds, and consumers loose vehicle fuel efficiency and much else.

Other states are doing more. Other countries have greater fuel economy. The EU has half the per capita consumption of the US.

How do we correct energy to the policies that we, as voters, consumers and occupants of this planet correct the ownership of our elected officials?

RECORD PRICES, RECORD RIPOFF

Volume XII No. 33 - November 9, 2007
One of the first lessons we learn as kids is that taking something without permission that belongs to somebody else is stealing. Executives at the Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, the second-largest oil and natural-gas producer in the U.S., seem to have never learned this important lesson. Last week, while oil prices were nearing $100 a barrel, the oil services giant won a court decision arguing that it doesn’t have to pay taxpayers for oil and gas it removed from federal waters.
Oil and gas companies lease taxpayer-owned lands and waters from the federal government to drill for oil and gas. In return for this right, they give taxpayers a percentage of the revenue generated from the oil and gas that is extracted. The $7 billion in annual oil royalty payments are the nation’s third largest source of revenue. pdf index

Court Rejects Fuel-Economy Standards NYT

Truck, SUV mileage standards thrown out by U.S. appeals court SFGate
Court rebukes Bush fuel economy plan, tosses light truck standards to take effect next year

SignonSanDiego

Court tells U.S. to rethink fuel standards for many vehicles SacBee

Everyone's talking about energy & oil prices ......

Everyone's talking about energy and oil prices. Some are even doing something about it like the Town of Reading (article & link below).

And the Middleboro Board of Selectmen? Or the G&E? The sound you hear is silence. Why be pro-active or search for solutions when it's not their money? They can just pass the increases along, as the costs for other blunders, like the landfill, have been passed along.

Energy policy seems to be guided by hypocrisy, like Congressman Patrick Kennedy or the short-sighted opposition of wealthy vested interests who don't want their views spoiled.

~ 85 % of Americans live along the coasts. The aggressive implementation of ALL alternative energy sources specifically targeting those areas has significant implications in reducing dependence on imported oil, especially New England.

Previous posts include links for tidal wave action power generation that holds great promise.

Cape Wind estimated that production would provide 75% of the power needed on the Cape. Can we afford to cater to the wealthy because they don't want their view spoiled?

As the energy bill moves forward in the Commonwealth Senate, watch for the vested interests' rhetoric disquised as environmental concern intended to delay or stall ALL projects to the detriment of consumers.

It takes a town 23,000 residents of Reading want to reduce the greenhouse-gas emissions created where they live

SANTA CLAUS VISITS THE TOWN OF READING EVERY THANKSGIVING weekend. He ascends a stepladder in the classic New England town square and throws a ceremonial switch that sets oaks and maples aglow with energy-guzzling incandescent bulbs. But last year, officials proudly announced that two maples near Town Hall held strings of efficient light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, for the first time. The LEDs cost more upfront but consume just one-10th the electricity of incandescent bulbs, and they should last 20 holiday seasons.The change seemed to be a no-brainer. After all, the bedroom community 12 miles north of Boston is one of 36 municipalities in Massachusetts (45 total in New England) that have signed on with Cities for Climate Protection, a campaign to help communities tally greenhouse-gas emissions and devise ways to reduce them. With guidance from this campaign - forged by the nonprofit International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, known as ICLEI - municipalities around the world are organizing to fill the void between personal action and national policy aimed at slowing global warming and climate change... CapeCodToday

Across the continent, on the southwestern edge of Cape Cod, researchers can dig three inches below the seabed in marshes and find diesel fuel that looks as if it was deposited just yesterday. It came from a 1969 barge accident that sent 175,000 gallons into the marshes near West Falmouth, Mass... InsideBayArea

Energy bill's turbine amendment stirs storm

The change, if adopted by the Senate next year, would remove a major hurdle to Boston developer Jay Cashman's controversial plan to build up to 120 wind turbines in Buzzards Bay.

SouthCoast

No wonder Congressman Patrick Kennedy says so little about Cape Wind. .....

WJAR political reporter Bill Rappleye asked, "how about a wind farm on Nantucket Shoals?," presumably a reference to Cape Wind, though he got the location wrong. Kennedy - "Ah, well, I mean, I think that, ah, certainly, I'm against the Cape Wind project if you're trying to get to that."Rappleye - "Why?"
Kennedy - "Why? Because I don't want to see a big, huge (spreading arms wide) Nantucket wind turbines in the middle of Horseshoe Shoal." (emphasis added, and throughout).

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Let's get rid of poisonous fossil fuel power plants and fossil politicians

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Ambush at Eelgrass Pass
Trampled rights and muddied waters
By Peter Kenney

CCT