A draft of the state’s historic ocean management plan being released today would prohibit Boston developer Jay Cashman from building his proposed, large-scale, commercial wind farm in the upper portion of Buzzards Bay.
At the same time, the plan opens the door for small-scale, community wind projects with 10 or fewer turbines to be sited in most of the state’s coastal waters, including the upper bay. In addition, the plan identifies two potential locations for commercial-sized wind farms: the southern end of the Elizabeth Islands at the mouth of Buzzards Bay and an area southwest of Nomans Land near Martha’s Vineyard.
An extensive review of ocean uses in Buzzards Bay concluded that Cashman’s proposal by Patriot Renewables LLC — which originally called for a 300-megawatt project with a total of up to 120 turbines sited off Dartmouth, Fairhaven and Naushon Island — was not an appropriate fit for the narrow bay, said Ian Bowles, state secretary for energy and environmental affairs.