Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) has sponsored a bill to help Falmouth borrow funds to remove the controversial wind turbines.
The bill seeks borrowed monies to "pay costs of decommissioning, dismantling and removing wind turbines, repaying grants received on account of such wind turbines," and "refinancing outstanding debt related to such wind turbines."
The legislation, Senate Bill 1802, is also sponsored by state representatives David Vieira (R-East Falmouth) and Timothy Madden (D-Nantucket).
The bill is written in response to the Selectmen's vote on April 9 at a special town meeting to seek a means to remove the turbines.
But in May, townspeople voted in more than a 2:1 margin in favor of keeping the turbines. The vote was 6,001 against and 2,940 in favor of removing the turbines.
Residents living close to the two turbines, located at the Falmouth Wastewater Treatment Facility, have reported health issues consequent to the turbines' installation.
Currently, the turbines are only run 12 hours a day. At this rate, they will cost the town between $672,000 and $1.3 million over the next five years, according to data from a report, the Cape Cod Times writes.
The Board of Selectman will discuss the ongoing issue more at their next meeting on July 1, where they hope to discuss alternative solutions to the issue, "including full-time operation with the town buying abutting properties and replacing the turbines with solar panels," the Times reports.
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