The Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) voted at a meeting November 4, to adopt an interim regulation for the Island Wind District of Critical Planning Concern (DCPC).
The MVC-designated Island Wind DCPC covers all of Dukes County except the Elizabeth Islands, certain Native American lands, and land within the town of Edgartown. The designation triggered a moratorium on building wind energy projects higher than 220 feet above sea level in the offshore zone, and over 150 feet above ground level in the land zone in all towns but Edgartown.
Since the building moratorium expires November 5 for the offshore zone and December 17 for the land zone, the interim regulation affords equivalent protection. It requires that any applications for wind energy projects in the DCPC undergo MVC review.
“If we had just let the moratorium lapse without adopting any regulations, we could not re-designate the district for 12 months,” MVC executive director Mark London said in a phone conversation with The Times.
The interim regulation is intended as a “placeholder,” until Island towns are ready to hold hearings on draft wind DCPC regulations and put them before voters at town meetings next spring, Mr. London said.
