Letter: To protect Westport, new solar by-law needed

Posted 9/13/18

To the editor:

We are fast approaching the September 18 Planning Board meeting where the fate of the proposed 18 acre, 3.1 megawatt solar installation on Drift Road will be decided. For those of …

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Letter: To protect Westport, new solar by-law needed

Posted

To the editor:

We are fast approaching the September 18 Planning Board meeting where the fate of the proposed 18 acre, 3.1 megawatt solar installation on Drift Road will be decided. For those of us who have concerned ourselves with the realities of this project, the truth has been both difficult and revealing. Over the past few months, we have tried to share some of what we learned with you.

Today we can say, we are not swayed by the slick commercial marketing messages of CVE, who would profit handsomely from this land clearing venture, nor are we convinced by the simple assurances of local officials who would like us to believe that such land conversion is compatible with our public interests, and we are not fooled to think that this is a “community” plan.

To be clear, any electricity generated by this project would be sold to the “Grid.” Those few Westport residents, who (and let it be known that the number seems to be extremely uncertain) buy in to “the plan” would get a small discount on their monthly electric bill, while overall energy costs would increase because of the high cost nature of delivering energy in this way.

Clearly our current solar by-laws are not compatible with our new understanding of this industry and it’s impacts on rural Westport. We need new solar by-laws now! We need to delay large scale solar projects until Westport residents can digest the realities and take a new vote.

The office of Michael A. Kelly, Esq. has prepared a revised solar by-law ordinance for Westport that we would like to introduce for consideration. Copies of this proposed revision will be available at the September 18 meeting and at the Westport Public Library.

We are asking that the Westport Planning Board vote no on this project based upon its problematic nature and the number of exceptions sought by CVE, and we ask that any consideration of future solar projects be delayed until after the Town Meeting, May 2019, to allow Westport to vote on the revised by-laws.

We urge you to attend the meeting of the Westport Planning Board, September 18, 6 p.m., at the Town Hall Annex, Main Road.

Every voice counts! Every opinion matters. Please stand.

Sky Wild

Westport

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.