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Pittsfield Planning to Harness Wind Power

December 17, 2008 - PITTSFIELD -- The town of Pittsfield wants to build a 100-foot-tall, 10-kilowatt wind turbine at the town recycling center, supplying half of the building's needed electricity.

If given the OK – the Planning Board still needs to hold a public hearing and grant a permit – the $63,000 project might be paid for mainly with a state grant. Pittsfield officials hope the turbine could also be an educational tool for school children and the community.

That would make the town the latest in a growing number of municipalities, businesses and residents in Maine seeking wind as an alternative form of energy.

The effort shows "they're being progressive," said state Rep. Stacey Fitts of Pittsfield, who is also a member of the Governor's Task Force on Wind Power.

The task force has mostly examined wind power on a larger scale, with turbines generating several megawatts of energy. A megawatt is the equivalent of 1,000 kilowatts.

Other Maine towns and schools are pursuing wind projects – large and small. The University of Maine at Presque Isle recently announced it aims to be the first Maine university to erect a wind turbine on campus, with a 600-kilowatt, $2 million project.

The town of China plans to install a $24,000 wind turbine near its elementary schools to light the ball fields.

There's no clear trend as to how much of a force wind power will be in the state, Fitts said. But Maine, Fitts said, is ranked the seventh "windiest state" based on its wind capacity and has lots of potential.

The biggest obstacle facing turbine installations is quite simple, Fitts said: Is there enough wind to make it worthwhile? In many locations, the answer is probably no, he said.

"It's a mixed bag," he said. "There are towns with good wind resources. You take, for example, the island communities, and there's real potential to take advantage of their position. It should have a payback – that's first and foremost."

Pittsfield, though, is not exactly an ideal location for wind turbines because of its location in the Sebasticook Valley. The proposed recycling center site is about the best spot in town for a turbine, Fitts said, because there is clear exposure to the north and northwest. Aside from that location, it also makes sense for Pittsfield to look into a turbine at the top of the Pinnacle, the town's small ski slope, Fitts said.

"This is one of those industries that's happening quickly. The only caution I have for people is you need the wind to let the turbine work. If you double the wind speed you get eight times the power," he said. "You have got to have that in mind when you invest your money."

The town plans to buy the turbine from Evolo Home Center of Newport. John Rush, owner of Evolo, said Pittsfield's turbine is a "fairly good-sized machine" – slightly larger than what a typical household would need.

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Dec. 22.

By SCOTT MONROE, Morning Sentinel December 15, 2008


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