Power to the People

It’s a confusing scene these days out on the ocean that surrounds this Island, at least when it comes to wind turbine planning. Things are happening on so many fronts that it’s difficult to keep track of them all; if we could diagram it, Rube Goldberg would be the graphic artist of choice. On one front Cape Wind, the commercial wind park planned for Horseshoe Shoal on Nantucket Sound that has been in the works for nine years, is soon set to receive two final decisions: one from the federal Secretary of the Interior Kenneth Salazar and the other from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. These decisions, which are expected by April, will ultimately decide whether and how the project will be allowed to go forward.

On a second front, Gov. Deval Patrick and his energy secretary Ian Bowles are proceeding apace on plans to allow commercial wind parks to be built off Cuttyhunk and Noman’s Land, with barely a passing nod to the interests of the Vineyard.

On yet another front, the federal government is in the early stages of planning to open up four thousand nautical square miles of ocean waters around the Vineyard to commercial wind development, artfully dodging the press and the public on the details in the way that only federal bureaucrats can do.

And finally on the home front, Vineyard Power, a fledging energy cooperative with a lofty goal to build a small ocean wind turbine park that would generate clean electricity for the Vineyard at a significant cost savings over what residents pay today, is just getting off the ground.

Vineyard Power is actively soliciting memberships, and at fifty dollars apiece, it sounds like a bargain. Sign up now, the pitch goes, because the cost of membership will go up every quarter. More than three hundred people have bought in.

But beyond the feel-good aspect of joining a grassroots, member-owned clean energy cooperative, what are they getting for their money?

Not much is known still about Vineyard Power and how its business plan will work. A thorough read of the organization’s Web site turns up mostly boilerplate in the form of mission statement, bylaws and articles of organization. A business plan extract provides little additional detail.

In an interview with the Gazette in September, Vineyard Energy Project director David McGlinchey outlined the vision for Vineyard Power: a clean energy cooperative owned and controlled by its members. The total estimated cost of building seventeen turbines to generate enough electricity to meet the needs of year-round residents is more than a hundred and fifty million dollars.

Mr. McGlinchey left the Vineyard Energy Project this week to pursue other interests. Meanwhile, Vineyard Power, begun by the energy project, has morphed into a separate entity. The future of the energy project is now unknown.

The young cooperative held its first meeting last week; it has a new president in former director Richard Andre, a West Tisbury resident.

In an interview with the Gazette today, Mr. Andre outlines a plan that includes the need for seventeen million dollars in start-up money, and that’s before more than a hundred million being eyed in loans and private equity money.

A power cooperative is an excellent idea — the best in the lot when it comes to that confusing scene out on the ocean right now. But a cooperative by definition is an organization controlled by its members.

And before we send in our check for fifty dollars, we’d like to hear more about the Vineyard Power business plan.

Down the Half-Court

The regional high school boys’ basketball team is having a good year, winning half a share of the Eastern Athletic Conference league title before a roaring home crowd last week. Seedings in the state tournament will be announced today, and the Vineyard is expected to play at least one tournament game at home.

It’s nice to see high school basketball, historically a centerpiece sport on the Island, regain a position of strength after struggling for a number of years. Clearly the basketball team is attracting some of the best athletes again, and much credit goes to coach Mike Joyce for his work in building, shaping and leading the squad.

And for Islanders who are staying home this month and not headed to some winter vacation spot — there is some fun to be had in cheering on the boys as they begin tournament play.

Call it a little pre-March madness.