Our Key Points

A private company known as Vineyard Wind has negotiated a contract with the Town of Barnstable to lay and bury two high voltage electrical cables totaling 460,000 volts from an 84 wind turbine farm 34 miles from Covell's Beach in Centerville. The cables are both under water and underground beneath Covell's, then along local roads for approximately 5 miles within 100 feet of residents' homes to a transfer station in Independence Park. EMF exposure is a major concern.

Other off shore leases have been granted for an additional 1,400 megawatts with other wind farm developers and are in planning phases. The time to act to stop this is now.

The town of Yarmouth chose not to allow Vineyard Wind to run its cables through its offshore waters and resource areas, recently the Conservation Commission for Martha's Vineyard, at their Edgartown hearings, voted 5-1 to deny Vineyard Wind's application for the cables to pass to the east of the Island.

Vineyard Wind has been quietly negotiating first with the Town of Yarmouth, and filing and seeking approval of permits with many other administrating and governing state and local boards, agencies and commissions; then when Yarmouth withdrew from this process, signed an agreement with the Barnstable Town Council. Further, Vineyard Wind asserts that they have been convening many meetings to which the public was invited to appear, ask questions and offer their comments. Yet, Vineyard Wind has not yet provided written documentation to very or confirm such notices, meetings, gatherings or the open vetting of issues.

With minimal notice to the public, the Barnstable Town Council negotiated an Easement Agreement in October 2018 with Vineyard Wind to run the cables to and beneath Covell's Beach and along the approx. 5 mile route on our roads. These negotiations commenced in 2016 and have been conducted quietly for over 2 years and residents were unaware until the required Notice of Intent was filed with the Barnstable Conservation Commission in April 2019 and required public notification. It was not until hearings on the Notice of Intent [which requires notice by certified mail to those whose property abuts within 100 feet of the project] were convened before the Conservation Commission, that the public was actually afforded an opportunity to appear and be heard. Since that time, it has been Vineyard Wind's position that because so many other boards, commissions and agencies have "already approved" or given their "blessing" to this project, that the hearings before and decision of the Conservation Commission was merely a formality.

The Easement Agreement includes that the Town of Barnstable is to receive Sixteen million dollars ($16,000,000.00) from Vineyard Wind to allow this cable to be installed along the path described above. Yet, there has been no disclosure as to how these funds are to be used for the benefit of the Town or its citizens including but not limited to whether there is or may be any benefit to the citizens in terms of better electric services or rates.

Not only did the town of Yarmouth chose not to allow Vineyard Wind to run its cables through its offshore waters and resource areas, recently the Conservation Commission for Martha's Vineyard, at their Edgartown hearings, voted 5-1 to deny Vineyard Wind's application for the cables to pass to the east of the Island.

Brayton Point Power Plant site near Fall River is an ideal location for wind farm cable landing. The other wind farm developers competing with Vineyard Wind have discussed their plan to connect there. Vineyard Wind acknowledges this alternative route but cites extra costs due to the longer path.

Notwithstanding the claims of Vineyard Wind to the contrary, there are many serious legal, environmental and engineering practices and concerns that have been raised but have not been fully vetted, explained or resolved, especially before the general public.

Vineyard Wind is a very well-funded company with a team of professionals making multiple recent appearances before smaller local groups of residents to pitch their case since Barnstable signed this agreement. While there are other companies engaged in designing, funding, permitting and installing various means of alternative energy in Massachusetts, Vineyard Wind’s application is in many ways similar to the earlier efforts of Cape Wind.