Nantucket asked to join offshore renewable energy team

The Minerals Management Service is inviting Nantucket to be on a task force for renewable energy development in federal waters, unlike the state's Ocean Advisory Committee, which originally excluded Nantucket.

Planning director Andrew Vorce said that last Thursday the town received a letter from MMS asking for representatives from Nantucket to join the Minerals Management Service Massachusetts Task Force and attend its opening session on Nov. 19 at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Bourne, Mass.

"Numerous local, state and federal governmental agencies have statutory roles related to OCS (Outer Continental Shelf) renewable energy projects," acknowledged the MMS in its task force purpose statement. "To the extent practicable, the task force will work to ensure the most efficient and effective review of proposed projects to support the Administration's goal of broadening the energy resource portfolio for the Nation and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' goal of meeting its Renewable Portfolio Standard and developing renewable energy resources off its coast."

Nat Lowell, chairman of the Nantucket Planning & Economic Development Commission and Board of Selectmen Chairman Michael Kopko will be the island's delegates.

"The good news is that Nantucket got an invitation, so that is a positive," said Vorce. "Among other things, I know they are talking about revenuesharing with the local communities."

Originally, Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian A. Bowles did not include Nantucket in his appointment of the 17-member Ocean Advisory Commission mandated by the Oceans Act of 2008 and only included marine superintendent Dave Fronzuto and Vorce when both questioned the state about its glaring oversight of omitting the coastal town with the most jurisdictional ocean area in the state. To gain stricter control over its waters, on behalf of the island, the NP&EDC filed legislation that would give Nantucket the same regulatory power as the Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard commissions that includes project review and permitting of offshore renewable energy developments.

However, in the current version of the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan legislation, the regulatory power previously held by the Martha's Vineyard Commission over offshore wind energy development no longer exists.

The inclusion of that power in that first draft of the state's and the nation's first-ever ocean management plan legislation assured the Martha's Vineyard Commission that if and when marine wind energy projects were proposed for state and town waters within their three-mile limits from shore, this commission would get to review wind energy developers' applications and render permitting decisions, as Nantucket hopes to do. Removal of this power, however, has infuriated the Martha's Vineyard Commission that is now getting help from State Representative Tim Madden, (D) Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and Falmouth in persuading Bowles to restore that part of the plan.

In an interview by Julia Wells for the Vineyard Gazette on Oct. 21, Madden said he was skeptical of the end result of the "very fast track" the plan was on to be completed by the end of the year and that the plan, which is supported with "little or no analysis" is geared solely toward offshore wind energy development in Massachusetts waters.

This commission's reaction prompted Madden to organize roundtable discussions with staff from Secretary Bowles' office, the Vineyard's commission and other Vineyard stakeholders following his meeting with Bowles and State Senator Robert O'Leary, (D) Cape and Islands.

"My position is that I represent two islands that are being affected differently by this plan," said Madden. "We have Nantucket, which is looking to do some alternate energy, predominantly wind energy and, as the plan is written now, that is prohibited. And on the Vineyard, and I hadn't heard it come up that people are opposed to the wind, but they do want to have a say."

Madden made assurances that in his meetings with Secretary Bowles last week, Bowles understands the Vineyard's regulatory issues and is willing to work with the Martha's Vineyard Commission on restoring them.

However this is resolved, the ramifications for Nantucket are that its current bid in the legislature to secure the same general regulatory powers of the Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod commissions is currently in jeopardy while the mere existence of this power remains in limbo as Madden tries to restore it in the current iteration of the Ocean Management Plan. Vorce could not comment on this pending legislation, but he did say he understands the position of the Martha's Vineyard Commission.

"I think the main issue on the Vineyard is that a 166 wind turbine development south of Gay Head Cliffs [could be proposed] and that that suddenly gets the green light," said Vorce. I