Patrick, accompanied by representatives from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, toured the Williams Stone Co. facility, the site of a new 600-kilowatt wind turbine. The turbine generates enough power to supply the entire operation.
"We don't have oil, gas or coal in the commonwealth," said Patrick, citing the added burden businesses face in energy costs throughout the state. He said renewable energy projects, like wind turbines, can lower those costs or even "make the meter run backward."
A 220-foot tower supports the Williams Stone's three-blade turbine, providing more than enough energy to work on the 450 tons of curbing produced there every day, according to Ed Williams, owner of Williams Stone.
Earlier this year, the governor laid out a plan to develop a system capable of delivering 2,000 megawatts of wind power, or enough to power 800,000 homes, by 2020. To produce that wattage, the turbines would likely be located along the state's Atlantic shore and in the Berkshires.
Kevin M. Schulte, the owner of Sustainable Energy Developments Inc., the Ontario, N.Y.-based company that designed and built the Williams Stone Co. turbine, praised
"I think it's important that we have support at the state level," said Schulte. "All of the rules will come at the state level."
The administration's next step is to identify where turbines could be best utilized, both in terms of maximum power output and with regard to the impact on the surrounding areas. That means, according to Patrick, that not every location is right for wind turbines, and the input from interested parties will be taken seriously.
"We think the local input, and the local authority, is very important in wind [turbine] siting," said Robert Keough, a spokesman for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
Local municipalities need to determine the conditions and permitting standards for turbines, according to Keough, while the state must create its own standards accounting for their proximity to neighborhoods, and natural and cultural resources, in order to streamline the process.
To reach Trevor Jones: tjones@berkshireeagle.com, or (413) 528-3660.
Font Resize
