Lenox officials optimistic about windmill site

By Claire CoxPrint Story | Email Story
LENOX — An international engineering firm is being guided by satellites in determining the feasibility of putting a wind turbine atop a Lenox mountain. Two engineers from Black & Veatch, an Overland Park specialist in power generation, came to Lenox on Dec. 15 at the request of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, which is seeking to install a tower to test the wind high over Lenox near Reservoir Road. Kristin Berke a specialist working for the collaborative, brought Ryan Jacobson, the company’s headquarters energy manager, and Jeffrey Stillman, a project engineer in its Boston office, to meet with Town Manager Gregory Federspiel and review the site. They walked up the logging road to the point 1,800 feet high near Reservoir Road where the town hopes to install a tower to test to see if the wind is sufficient to for a turbine that would generate enough electricity to power an estimated 250 homes. The collaborative, which is financing the initial studies of the tower proposal, hopes to erect a temporary tower designed to test wind speed and frequency for a year, after which the town would build a permanent turbine, at a total cost estimated at nearly $2 million. The major question facing the collaborative, the town and the engineers is how to move three 1-ton windmill rotor blades up the steep slope to the tower site. The possibility of using a helicopter to do the hauling at considerable expense has been raised. However, Federspiel reported after the meeting that the engineers think they might be able to arrange the move over land. Before making their final recommendation, the engineers carried high-tech equipment up to the proposed turbine site and used a Global Positioning Radio-Navigation System (GPS) to pinpoint details of the area with messages from a galaxy of 24 satellites and their ground stations. They took the data home with them to prepare a detailed feasibility report, which will be submitted early next year. Federspiel, in an interview following the meeting with the Black & Veatch engineers, said his previous doubts about the windmill project had been alleviated by the visit. “Overall, that I was feeling more encouraged I guess, is the bottom line,” Federspiel said. “They didn’t think it was impossible. They felt that one way or another, they could make it work. The paddles may have to be unloaded off of their regular highway vehicles and put on a special trailer that is brought up by a tractor of some sort.” The reaction from Jacobson, the collaborative’s energy manager was, ‘I think it’s doable,” but he said more information gathering would be necessary. “They took lot of positions,” Federspiel said. “They had their GPS tracker. They were pinpointing where they were on the ground and will go back to the topological maps and do a more detailed analysis. They were being cautious, but I was hearing ‘It looks like we could make something work, one way or another. There is a possibility.’” Federspiel followed up the trip to the mountaintop by informing the Selectmen at the Dec. 19 meeting that he was feeling more optimistic about the project than he was a couple of months ago. After the meeting, he added “There is still a lot of work to be done and a lot of meetings and hearings are still to come before we are going to do anything.” The only other site deemed suitable for a wind tower is on preserved land and is not currently under consideration.
Share
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Lanesborough Fifth-Graders Win Snowplow Name Contest

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — One of the snowplows for Highway District 1 has a new name: "The Blizzard Boss."
 
The name comes from teacher Gina Wagner's fifth-grade class at Lanesborough Elementary School. 
 
The state Department of Transportation announced the winners of the fourth annual "Name A Snowplow" contest on Monday. 
 
The department received entries from public elementary and middle school classrooms across the commonwealth to name the 12 MassDOT snowplows that will be in service during the 2025/2026 winter season. 
 
The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season and to recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors during winter operations. 
 
"Thank you to all of the students who participated. Your creativity allows us to highlight to all, the importance of the work performed by our workforce," said  interim MassDOT Secretary Phil Eng.  
 
"Our workforce takes pride as they clear snow and ice, keeping our roads safe during adverse weather events for all that need to travel. ?To our contest winners and participants, know that you have added some fun to the serious take of operating plows. ?I'm proud of the skill and dedication from our crews and thank the public of the shared responsibility to slow down, give plows space and put safety first every time there is a winter weather event."
 
View Full Story

More Stories

Sports
image description

Lee Executes Game Plan to Perfection in Quarter-Final Win

Sports
Sports
image description

Lenox Volleyball Reaches State's Final Four

Sports
Sports
image description

Mount Greylock Boys Win 3rd Straight Regional Crown

Sports
Sports
image description

Mount Greylock Girls Again Top Monson in Western Mass Final

Sports
Sports
image description

Lenox Sweeps Its Way to Western Mass Crown

Sports
Community News
image description

North Adams License Commission Sees Little Need for License...

Community News
Latest Stories
Previous Next

What's Trending?