The MassCEC board of directors approved the grants, which total more than $2.66 million. The awards include design and construction grants for six new wind projects totaling more than 12 MW in capacity and 12 feasibility studies for wind energy projects that would total more than 23 MW in capacity, if built.
The 18 grants go to public and private projects, cities and towns, and the Massachusetts Military Reservation. The Commonwealth Wind Community Scale Wind Initiative is a program of MassCEC's renewable energy generation division, which is funded by renewable energy charges on electric bills, generating roughly $23 million a year to support renewable energy installations and companies.
The six projects receiving design and construction grants are in the towns of Scituate, Nantucket and Florida, and the city of Boston and at the Massachusetts Military Reservation on Cape Cod. Awards for the 12 feasibility studies go to the towns of Douglas, Duxbury, Hamilton, Swampscott, Millbury, Weymouth and Winchendon, the cities of Gloucester and Fall River, and private developers in Savoy, Cohasset and Westminster.
The goal of the Commonwealth Wind Incentive Program is to assist responsibly sited wind energy projects of all scales in achieving successful and timely installations.
SOURCE: The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Â
