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Politics & Government

Wind Turbine Decision Expected at Falmouth Selectmen's Meeting

Will they run both turbines 24/7, or give Wind 1 neighbors a few hours' break at night? Selectmen meet at 7 p.m. tonight at Town Hall to decide the future of the town's wind turbines.

Falmouth selectmen are expected to choose tonight how the town will operate its controversial Wind 1 and Wind 2 turbines.

Four alternatives are on the table:

  1. Operating both turbines 20 hours a day, yielding an estimated 84 percent of the total energy production possible with unrestrained use
  2. Operating Wind 1 for 16 hours a day with Wind 2 running 24/7, also yielding an estimated 84 percent
  3. Operating Wind 1 for 20 hours a day with Wind 2 running 24/7, yielding an estimated 91 percent of the possible total.
  4. 24/7 operation of both turbines for 100 percent energy production.
Wind 1, the louder of the two 1.65-megawatt turbines, has generated many complaints from neighbors who say it is ruining their sleep and their health.


In April, WBUR's Bob Oakes and Kathleen McNerney reported that of three wind turbines they visited in Hull, Scituate and Falmouth, "Wind 1 was by far the noisiest, sounding like a shovel scraping pavement in measured increments." (Read "Falmouth to vote on removing wind turbines.")

Both turbines have been running 12 hours by day with 12 hours off at night, according to the Cape Cod Times, which reports that the town needs to operate them for more hours to cover costs and generate funds to mitigate neighborhood impacts. (Read "Falmouth tries again at wind turbine solution.")

Tonight's meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Which of the four scenarios do you think it best? Why? Tell us in the comments.

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