MassCEC Announces Grants For 18 Wind Projects

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) today announced grants supporting 18 new wind energy projects under the Commonwealth Wind Community Scale Wind Initiative.

“These grants will allow communities and institutions to reduce their use of fossil fuels, as well as help the Commonwealth reach Governor Patrick’s goal of developing 2,000 megawatts of wind power capacity by 2020,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles, who serves as chairman of MassCEC’s board of directors.

The MassCEC board of directors approved the grants totaling more than $2.66 million. Today’s awards include design and construction grants for six new wind projects totaling more than 12 megawatts (MW) in capacity, and 12 feasibility studies for wind energy 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 Scituate, Nantucket, Florida, 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.

Source : Press Release