The Cape Cod site selection process was always kept very quiet. The target was first put on Dowses Beach and Avangrid rejected it for lots of reasons, including the massive disruption of residential areas and Osterville's business district. Then boom, no explanation, Dowses Beach was targeted again.
Residents, other than Town officials, only got their first notice in August 2022. Since then, grassroots opposition has grown steadily stronger as more people learn about the risks.
The Baker administration gave the thumbs up to this approach. The Healey administration and other Beacon Hill leaders appear to be allowing things to continue. We need your help to make them understand there is still time to change course and pursue a greener, less risky and less expensive solution.
NO. We simply think there is a better way to land this power – cheaper, less risky and less disruptive to local communities. Build the turbines, but come ashore in industrial areas that can better accommodate the massive power inflows.
YES. The New England states recently formed a coalition to advance the planned approach. Multiple studies show the planned approach to have lower cost, lower environmental footprint and less environmental risk. This is in addition to the fact that federal monies are available to assist in the construction of a multi-state offshore power superhighway.
NO. If the host community agreement (“HCA”) looks like the Covell’s and Craigville agreements, the contribution from Avangrid would be less than 1% of the first phase of the sewering. Less. Than. One. Percent. They’ll also repave some roads that they disrupt. Peanuts compared to our total sewering cost.
Likely no. Installing the sewers takes longer than cabling, generally. The massive heat from the cables also means they likely need to be on the opposite side of the street from water and sewer lines. In short, the final repaving is the only benefit to the sewering process. It’s worth about $1m per mile, with a total of 6.7 miles expected. It is insignificant. The cost of sewering will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, so even the saving on paving is insignificant.
The route cuts right through town. Residents and businesses can expect significant disruptions to traffic patterns as roads are trenched for cables and repaved. Periodic maintenance is likely afterwards.
You do!
Avangrid wants the shortest route to shore because they aren’t on the hook for the costs once they land. Their contracts just need them to land the power. They’re a for-profit corporation. They are motivated to deliver returns for shareholders, not the best electric grid for Cape residents. .
We don’t know if it could be fixed. But if it could be, it would cost a lot! The recent water crisis in Flint, Michigan cost the state $600,000,000.00 in damages, on top of the yet to be determined full costs to fix the issues.
Large lines put out strong magnetic fields. It’s unclear what the health impacts might be on people and pets, but it’s doubtful people would want to live next to massive transmission lines.
The high energy lines and equipment used to handle them create the potential for explosions and dangerous chemical discharges from equipment leaks or fires.
Transmission on-shore will need to be upgraded and built to move this power to the urban and industrial areas that need it. New substations will result in permanent loss of green space.
In fact, for Commonwealth Wind (the Dowses project), the new substation is planned right next to a drinking water well. Substations have lots of toxic chemicals. A leak or fire could release these chemicals into our sandy soil and flow into the shared aquifer.
Remember, the shared aquifer is the only source of drinking water on the Cape and Islands and it is used by all of us!
We’re fortunate to have great local fire departments. They’re built to serve our mostly residential and commercial communities.
They’re concerned about the electrical fire risks, and they’re asking tough questions. But the bottom line is that they’re not equipped to handle a major electrical fire. They would form a perimeter for public safety and let it burn.
Eversource might be able to put one out, but nobody seems sure.
How could it not?
Do you prefer homes beside industrial sites? Do you want to live beside high voltage lines? Do you want your kids and grandkids building sandcastles on top of transmission junctions? Do you enjoy power outages? How about major traffic delays and unexpected maintenance work on your streets?
If you answered yes to any of these, you’re a rare consumer! People choose the villages of Barnstable to live, retire and visit because they’re idyllic, quaint, quiet and beautiful. Let’s keep them beautiful and desirable places to live!
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