Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MArCH 1, 2024 ~ The Old Sachem ~ A new electric system By Bill Stewart S lowly but strategically, we turn to electricity to advance the environment while dismissing or at least reducing oil usage and its contamination. We have rooftop solar panels, auto electric provision stations, electric automobiles and now we have wind farms to generate electricity. Vineyard Wind and the Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Wildlife Federation and the Conservation Law Foundation entered into an agreement with Vineyard Wind to create electricity for Massachusetts’ South Shore from its wind turbines located offshore. In addition to creating electricity, they are committed to preserving the protection of marine habitats, such as for fish, whales, turtles and Gerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? If Not, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 bird species. They have committed to a relationship with the offshore fishing industry of Massachusetts. In 2010, they worked with representatives of the fishing industry to ensure that industry fishermen would have a strong voice in relation to the projected installation. The wind farm will be located 15 miles off the coast of Massachusetts and will create clean, renewable and affordable electricity for over 400,000 homes and businesses within the Commonwealth while reducing carbon emissions by over 1.6 million tons per year. The turbines will be located 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket; the location was determined by a multiyear, intergovernmental task force, in a process that considered scientific data along with public input. This area is located in an area that consists of powerful and reliable wind speeds, an ideal area for wind turbines. Vineyard Wind 1 will consist of 62 wind turbines located one nautical mile apart on east-west and northsouth positions. The turbines are General Electric Haliade-X turbines, each having the capability of generating 13 megawatts of electricity. The electricity generated will be collected by an off-shore substation prior to being transmitted to the shore station. It will generate 800 megawatts of electricity, with a capability of providing to 400,000 sites, the equivalent of removing 325,000 vehicles from Massachusetts roads. Two submarine cables will be installed along a carefully studied route from the substation to a point on Covell’s Beach in Barnstable. ASKS | FROM PAGE 3 level. Earmarks obtained by State Representatives have already been reduced due to financial issues at the state level, but I am hopeful that local aid will not be decreased. I look forward to having an update meeting with the town manager soon, to hear his plan addressing the agreed-upon goals of the board and the town manager, especially discussing the plans for parks and playgrounds, and a mass notification system to push timely Geological surveys determined the route to avoid sensitive habitats of sea and land animals. The cables are to be buried six feet underground beneath public roadways in Barnstable and will follow under roadways to Hyannis, adjacent to an existing Eversource substation. Currently, the project is generating electricity for about 30,000 sites. When completed it will generate 806 megawatts and will cost about $4 million for customers of three major electric utilities. The project is a joint venture of Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, who are also creating another project as a smaller wind farm, the South Fork project developed by Orsted and Eversource to provide electricity to Long Island in New York. At least nine of the Vineyard 1 turbines have been installed, and work is continuing to eventually fulfill the dream of providing clean electricity and reducing gas emissions. updates out to residents. The Golden Hills playground has been in need of replacement for a very long time, and improved communication to residents are both top priorities for the Board and the Manager. I also am looking forward to that meeting to address the plan for our vacant school buildings. Selectman Michael Serino I thought that the Town Manager’s proposed budget to the Board of Selectmen was a fairly standard presentation. There were no surprises “The Old Sachem,” Bill Stewart. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Joanie Allbee) The future is now for changing our world to a more hospitable measure of energy. (Editor’s Note: Bill Stewart, who is better known to Saugus Advocate readers as “The Old Sachem,” writes a weekly column about sports – and sometimes he opines on current or historical events or famous people.) to me. As always the challenges are in the area of the Town’s fixed costs such as, health insurance, pension contribution and our regional school assessment costs. The most significant challenge we face will be how to pay for the construction of the new Northeast Regional Vocational School. Saugus’s share is estimated around 3 million dollars a year. This does not include the cost to send more students to the expanded 400 student facility. However, the Town’s revenue stream consisting of property and excise tax revenue, new growth and local receipts seem to remain steady and strong. Although, our State aid revenue increased by about 4 million since last year. I am concerned about the financial condition of the State. Over the past several months, reports have surfaced that the State is lacking in revenue receipts and the costs to house and feed the migrant population has put a financial strain on the State. I am concerned this might have an impact on local aid receipts to cities and towns. Unfortunately, local aid numbers are usually not finalized until late summer. In conclusion, the budget that the Selectmen approved is a preliminary budget. As the budget process moves forward, the budget will continue to be adjusted as necessary so that we have a balanced budget. Your Town Meeting Members will have the final approval of the budget.
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