Save Greater Dowses Beach

Save Greater Dowses Beach is a public, grassroots group working to prevent the use of this local Cape Cod treasure (and others!) as sites for high-capacity electrical cables.

Blakeley Foundation retains a seat on the Save Dowses group steering committee.

The Greater Dowses Beach area, situated along Nantucket Sound in Barnstable, is a unique coastal ecosystem. It includes a narrow barrier spit, a dune system, two bays (East Bay and Phinney’s Bay), a handicapped-accessible fishing pier, a public mooring field, and a small boat launch. This area is also a critical habitat for wildlife.

Avangrid, Inc. has proposed a three-year project to install three large 400-megawatt power cables at Dowses Beach, which would permanently convert the site into a utility facility requiring ongoing maintenance. We are concerned that this project could damage the environment, disrupt wildlife habitats, endanger the causeway’s stability, and threaten the Sole Source Aquifer, the sole freshwater supply for all of Cape Cod.

While SGDB supports the transition to renewable energy, we oppose allowing offshore wind developers to determine where high-voltage power cables should be located. We believe Massachusetts should pursue a more thoughtful offshore energy strategy that avoids compromising onshore environmental integrity.