According to Marion Energy Management Committee member Alanna Nelson, Cape and Vineyard Electric Cooperative (CVEC) spoke to the developer of the Benson Brook capped landfill solar project, and “things are beginning to unlock.”
After procurement issues extended renegotiation of the agreement, it appears they are moving ahead with the project, said Nelson during Monday’s public meeting of the EMC at the Police Station.
Committee member Bill Saltonstall referenced prior discussions about harnessing some of that power for the town’s use, but Nelson believes it is too late for that project. The one caveat, should the agreement not work out with the developer, is the matter could then be opened back up. CVEC, said Nelson, would like to explore other arrangements besides a lease.
The nonprofit Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC) provides towns with expertise, including analysis of solar options, and CVEC would presumably pay for this service as an investment in the Benson Brook solar project.
Saltonstall said, as the town continues to pursue power options, he is receiving suggestions from Green Communities and in response is sending the state agency four years of electric bills and will soon send Eversource natural gas bills.
The question of how Future Generation Wind factors in what Marion can and cannot do vis-à-vis solar projects depends on information that has been hard to nail down. In recent years, the annual amount of power coming from Future Generation Wind has fluctuated from 99% to 91%, 76% and in 2021 back up to 80%. Saltonstall said Marion is waiting on the latest information. Up-to-date data is a prerequisite to building the solar project at Benson Brook.
Over at Sippican Elementary School, electric power is not coming from the town’s aggregator but from a company named Direct Energy Business LLC. Saltonstall said its prices are “good,” but the EMC doesn’t know when that contract expires.
There is a question as to whether the Police Station may get a solar canopy or solar panels atop its roof, which is 10 years old. EMC Chairman Christian Ingerslev said a roof project depends on whether the shingles are built for 10, 20 or 30 years of service. According to Saltonstall, the Police Department has the town’s fourth highest electric bill.
Ingerslev noted that the planned location of the new Department of Public Works operations center has been adjusted to catch the maximum sunlight without interference from surrounding trees.
Ingerslev sent proposed bylaw changes to Codification Committee Chairman Norm Hills and told members he has heard that the town plans to make the Codification Committee independent (it was conceived as a subcommittee of the Planning Board.)
Electric vehicles were discussed, including Chief of Police Richard Nighelli’s concern over the lack of a charging facility at the station where it concerns the immediate future of cruisers. Nelson said that the EMC is looking at the Police Department, Washburn Park and Silvershell Beach as potential locations for public charging stations and is waiting on quotes.
Ingerslev said any future buildings in Marion should be wired up for conversion from natural gas to electric. EMC member Eileen Marum said that by 2035, all automobiles produced in the United States will be electric. She recalled the Planning Board’s vetting of the new Travis Roy Student Center at Tabor Academy and her unsuccessful attempt to get Tabor to install wiring for several charging stations.
EMC member Tom Friedman said he has received feedback that residents would consider electric cars more seriously if charging stations were readily available. Nelson attended a webinar that Eversource held on public charging stations and recommended that Marion puts itself on the list as soon as possible.
“Despite all that we have tried to say and do,” it was with disappointment that Ingerslev told the committee that the design phase of the new Maritime Center is complete and that no further changes can be made.
Since the project’s conception, the committee has pounded its fist for opportunities to explain the long-term savings of net-zero energy consumption to no avail. The EMC has been advised that the Harbormaster Department has applied for the remaining funding necessary to begin construction and expects to receive it.
Saltonstall said that the new DPW, being designed by his son Will Saltonstall, is “a simple, inexpensive building” with a metal roof capable of bearing the weight of solar panels.
Nelson’s question as to whether the EMC can be appropriately represented at the DPW Construction Committee meetings brought about a wider conversation regarding representation.
Ingerslev said he has been told that the EMC should establish regular representatives to attend relevant board meetings. Marum noted that her bid for membership of the appointed DPW design committee was rejected. She says the gap between the EMC and those on the DPW committee is a matter of education.
“They’ve got some dinosaurs on those committees,” said Marum, adding that the DPW committee needs members who are up to date on climate change and related concerns.
The next meeting of the Marion Energy Management Committee is scheduled for Monday, July 24, at 6:00 pm at the Police Station.
Marion Energy Management Committee
By Mick Colageo