Nov 30 2010
A Bolton company named Green Mountain Clean Energy has secured approval for constructing a 180 foot tower on Ricker Mountain for measuring the wind strength. The company’s principal, Ed Flanagan, who is also the Vice President of Montpelier’s Point Radio Station, stated that the tower’s equipment would collect wind data for a period of two or three years from the mountain top region.
Flanagan further states that after scrutinizing the data collected the potential for building an electricity generating unit utilizing wind could be considered.
This Central Vermont Company has plans of developing a wind energy project close to the Bolton Valley Ski area. The project is pending approval. It is planning to construct a utility scale wind power system with 6-7 turbines. The plans are still in the preliminary stage, but are facing opposition from the State Agency of Natural Resources. The Agency is concerned that the project would divide the vast and as yet undisturbed upper elevated part of the forest.
According to the Fish and Wildlife Department’s Community Ecologist Eric Sorenson, the entire area contains a number of rare species and important natural communities. The area is also home to the Montane Spruce Fir. It is also the place where the uncommon Bicknell’s Thrush is found. Sorenson further reveals that constructing wind turbines on this region would mean clearing a 150-200 ft area for, which a significant amount of blasting would need to be done. Only then a road could be developed through, which equipments like cranes could be brought in.
However Ed Flanagan states that the impact on the environment could be reduced by careful choice of the site for the wind tower. It was a local company who planned to do the construction for the sake of the local people and for development of wind energy.
Source: http://www.greenmountainenergy.com/