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The tag is NO foresight, but I appreciate the special note none the less. I don't doubt that anyone associated with the projects doesn't believe the site could be a "useful" power source. However, I would ask what does the term "useful" mean?
Is it "useful" for the town to produce pollution free electricity? Is it "useful" for the town to have a way to lower it's energy bill by producing some of it's own electricity? Could a working hydro facility be "useful" for area education? Could a by-product of the project be a "useful" recreation area for the town?
The internet is awash with sites dedicated to microhydro projects, it's not like the wheel would need to be re-invented.
In our life time, besides death and taxes, the town of Clarksburg can count on two things. 1)The river will always be flowing and the price of electricity will also be increasing.
My only question for the voters of Clarksburg is: If you are going to spend the money anyway, wouldn't it be nice to get something for it?
For the record, I appreciate all the coverage your site has dedicated to this issue. A job well done.
iberkshires has done an excellent job reporting this issue. Clarksburg officials have gone a poor job dealing with this issue. Now they want to stick the taxpayers withe the wrong decision and the bill. The state officials involved in removing the dam want it removed, that is their job. It is the job of Clarksburg officials to do what is best for the town. There is money available for hydro projects and has been available. but town officials have refused to pursue free money, or even give explanations, based on facts as to why the have not. THis public information and the public can read it here:
http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=MA90F&re=1&ee=1
The Selectman told the taxpayers that if they did not vote to spend the money to demolish the dam, that 50 full time and 100 part jobs would be lost, and eventually the mill buildings would have to be torn down at a cost to taxpayers of $1 million. What the selectman did not tell the taxpayers, is that there are companies that specialize in developing small scale hydro power from old dams. These companies will assist the town in obtaining grants and financing to generate electricity, that will produce income for the town for as long as the river flows. This is what the selectman does NOT want the taxpayers to know.
This is one company.
If a hydro project at Briggsville's dam could generate 1 million (1,000,000)Kwh's per year - would the voters of Clarksburg believe the project to worth it? That's enough electricity for about 300 homes.
This is the conservative figure I come up with using only Google Earth measurements and my years spent on and around that river.
A half hour's time could make this estimate an accurate figure and then the voters could make an informed decision.
Dalton Green Committee Recommends Consultant for Action Plan
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Green Committee overwhelmingly recommended having Blue Strike Environmental as the town's consultant for its Climate Action Plan during its meeting on Monday.
The town issued a request for proposals on March 27 and received two responses: one from Blue Strike Environmental, a Monterey, Calif., company, and the other from Capsus, an international firm based in Mexico.
The committee wants to develop a climate action plan to achieve net zero by 2050 by seeking strategies to decrease the town's dependence on fossil fuels for homes, businesses, municipal facilities, and vehicles.
The plan should be detailed enough, so the town knows what it needs to do and the timing to complete each subproject on time, the request for proposals said.
During the meeting, committee members numerically rated the consulting firms based on the following categories: relevant experience, staffing plan and methodology, ability to complete projects on time, and proposed plan evaluation. Bluestrike's rating was four times higher across all criteria.
Now that the committee has rated the second part of the bidding process, the bidders will submit the estimated cost of the project.
The contract will be awarded to the firm offering the most "advantageous proposal" that takes into consideration all evaluation criteria and price.
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