Sep. 14–NORTH KINGSTOWN — If all goes according to plan, the town could install a large wind turbine to provide clean power and lower energy bills by the end of 2011, a consultant told residents at a recent public forum.
In a presentation Thursday evening at the North Kingstown Free Library, Daniel Mendelsohn, of Applied Science Associates, said that if a study his firm is carrying out determines that it is feasible to build a utility-scale turbine in town, it could take less than two years to bring a plan to fruition.
A relatively quick turnaround could work in the town's favor, said Mendelsohn. The global recession has softened demand for turbines, leading to lower prices and speedier delivery of components.
"This could be a very good time to pursue this project," he told an audience of about 50 people.
Applied Science's study, which will consider everything from permitting issues to site assessments to design and economics, will culminate in a report with recommendations in January or February.
The South Kingstown-based company worked on a similar study for the Town of Portsmouth, which last March successfully installed a 1.5-megawatt turbine that offsets energy used by municipal and school buildings and generates revenue by selling excess power to the grid. The company has also done a wind energy study for Jamestown and worked on RIWINDS, the report on Rhode Island's wind resources commissioned by the state in 2007.
According to that report, the winds in North Kingstown average 6-7 meters per second, which could mean the town has sites suitable for a utility-scale wind turbine (generally defined as a 1-megawatt machine or larger). Wind speed must average at least 6 meters per second for such a turbine to be economically feasible.
The idea for a wind turbine originated with Larry Ceresi, chairman of the North Kingstown School Committee. About a year and a half ago, while putting together the school system's budget, he and other committee members were faced with mounting costs for electricity. Forced to set aside $350,000 to power just the high school, the committee started looking at ways to stabilize prices.
"I thought if there's ever a time for a community to embrace clean, renewable energy, it's now," Ceresi said Thursday.
He called an investment in wind energy a "financial opportunity" for the town. With grants available from the state Department of Education and the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation's Renewable Energy Fund and zero-interest Clean Renewable Energy Bonds on offer from the federal government, the town could get a helping hand in making that investment a reality.
Richard Talipsky, head of the Portsmouth Economic Development Commission, told the audience that his community's decision to erect a turbine is already paying dividends. The turbine is on track to generate about $450,000 in revenues annually, enough to pay off bonds used to put it up, cut the town's electricity bill and make money to cover other expenses.
In North Kingstown, Applied Science was initially tasked to look at two sites: the public high school and Hamilton Elementary School. Although the high school still appears to be a possible venue, the elementary school may be ruled out because there simply is not enough room available around a turbine. Siting guidelines set by the state Department of Environmental Management recommend a radius around any turbine equal to one-and-a-half times the machine's height, said Mendelsohn. The safety zone is in place in case the turbine were to fall down, an unlikely event.
Mendelsohn said the town was interested in wind energy for its environmental benefits, but said that money will play a crucial part in the decision to move forward or not.
"It's not going to proceed if it's not an economic project," he said.
