Letter: Solar firm’s website packed full of “alternate facts”

Posted 9/11/18

To the editor:

Last week’s Shorelines had a short article about the new website of CVE North America (Westport-ma-solar.com) promoting the “merits” of the proposed solar installation on …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Letter: Solar firm’s website packed full of “alternate facts”

Posted

To the editor:

Last week’s Shorelines had a short article about the new website of CVE North America (Westport-ma-solar.com) promoting the “merits” of the proposed solar installation on Drift Road in Westport. Since we are the closest abutter to this proposed site, I rushed to the computer to see what words of wisdom might be imparted to me. Wow!

From the website - “How We Compare” - Westport has prioritized the need for clean, renewable energy by approving solar installations in three areas. Of these, our proposed project off Drift Road is the least visible due to the remote location and natural screening that will complement the buffers, landscaping and fencing implemented as part of this plan.”

The “remote location”? Hardly! And “Screening measures, including plants, landscaping and fencing, will be implemented to ensure substantial buffering between the array and neighboring properties.” Also “Bring savings to eligible Westport residents on utility bills” — a short article in Shorelines last week showed that the electricity generated would actually be much more expensive, so hardly a benefit.

What I found on the second page (“Learn More”) was a description saying “ample setbacks from neighboring property lines” and a display using a Google Earth photo of the area overlain by a bit of the proposed plan with wild measurements indicated showing how far away the panels are from the “closest abutter”…that’s us! They have measured with incredible accuracy down to 6 inches, “437’ 6” (how did they accomplish this accuracy?) from the solar panel to the nearest abutter” showing the distance from the solar array to the parking lot behind our house. Why? This is not the distance to our property line — that is about 35 feet. And then another measurement from the array to our vegetable garden of “273‘ 6” dense forest of 50-60 foot tall trees to remain.” These are our woods — how do they know they are “to remain”? They are 50 to 60 feet tall because we cherish and protect our woodlands. They obviously do not cherish woodlands, they chop them down!

They are trying to say that there is enough woodland (because it is all ours) between the array and us to screen it from our view, and perhaps now there is. But when the leaves fall from the trees (this is 95 percent deciduous woodland) we may not be so protected. Another thing to consider — we are 78 now and won’t live forever. If the next owner wanted to put in a house where we now have woodlands, it would be up against the arrays — they are literally 35-40 feet from the property line. This is not right.

Please support us by attending the Planning Board meeting on September 18 at 6:15 p.m. at the Town Hall Annex. If this can be allowed to happen in our quiet residential neighborhood, it can happen in yours also. If the powers in town want more solar energy produced, then why is it not on the new big south-facing roof tops in town, the new fire and police stations, and the new to-be-built school? That is where it belongs — on roof tops!

Penny Hadfield,

Westport

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
MIKE REGO

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.