On Tuesday, 3/22/22, The Falmouth Enterprise online “Early Edition” published the following map and article which adds some information not included in the Mayflower Wind letter sent to FHMNA explaining the reason for the postponement of the Mayflower Energy EFSB Public Comment scheduled for 3/24/22 (see FHMNA post from 3/21/22). In addition, it adds some quotes from Falmouth Select Board Chair Douglas Brown not published in the March 15, 2022 Falmouth Enterprise article, “Select Board Plans on Airing Concerns Over Mayflower Wind” (see FHMNA post from 3/16/22).
A public hearing planned for Thursday, March 24, regarding Mayflower Wind’s proposal to run electric cables under Falmouth Heights has been postponed. A new date has not yet been set.
A spokesperson for the company said in an email on Tuesday morning that Mayflower Wind is reviewing additional information requested by the Town of Falmouth before holding the Massachusetts Energy Siting Board hearing.
“Once rescheduled, notification will be sent to abutters and notice of the hearing will be published,” Martha Keeley of McMahon Communications said in the email.
The offshore wind project is facing opposition from residents—mostly from the Falmouth Heights neighborhood—who cite health and environmental concerns from the cables, which would be delivering power from offshore wind turbines. They would connect to the electrical grid through undersea cables using a connection point in Falmouth Heights. Mayflower Wind is building a 1,200-megawatt wind farm about 20 nautical miles south of the western end of Nantucket.
The Falmouth Select Board had planned on attending the Zoom hearing to express concerns over the proposed cable route and the company’s desire to override local zoning laws.
“We have concerns that they only really explored two options, knowing that one is not even viable,” select board chairman Douglas C. Brown said. He is referencing a route that was proposed early on by Mayflower Wind to connect on shore near Surf Drive, but cannot be done since Eversource cables are present there.
“I would think they would have known it was not really an option, and in that case, they only presented one option at Falmouth Heights. They told the siting board there was only one option, and presented that option to the state before consulting us,” he said. The company also applied to the state to supersede Falmouth zoning laws before consulting the town, he said.
Mayflower Wind’s planned route is under Falmouth Heights Beach to a connection in the beach parking lot. It then runs underground below Worcester Park and Worcester Court, across Davis Straits, to Jones Road, to Gifford Street, and then either to a Lawrence-Lynch substation or to an alternative substation at Cape Cod Aggregates on Blacksmith Shop Road.
The alternative route is under Falmouth Heights Beach to a connection at the foot of Central Park Avenue. It is then buried diagonally across Central Park ballfield, under Crescent Avenue, to Falmouth Heights Road, to Davis Straits and to Jones Road. From there, the path is the same as the preferred route.
“We have been working with town staff on other routes that Mayflower did not consider,” the chairman said. “I think Mayflower Wind may have realized they went about this the wrong way and asked for a postponement.”