The Center for Ecological Technology (CET) has announced its annual schedule of wind farm tours at the Green Mountain Power Corporation’s renewable energy wind facility in nearby Searsburg, Vermont this summer and fall, and the first group of tours is scheduled for Wednesday, July 18. The Berkshire Renewable Energy Collaborative (BREC) sponsors the tours. Tours start at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. and are free to the public.
The wind facility, located on Searsburg Mountain, was the one of the first commercial-scale wind power facilities constructed in the northeast. Since 1997, eleven 550-kilowatt wind turbines have been producing electricity. Tour guides from Vermont Environmental Research Associates will cover topics ranging from selecting the site, public acceptance, how the technology works, wildlife protection, and the potential for wind power in this region.
“This is a unique opportunity to visit a wind farm that produces as much as 14 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy annually. Seeing the turbines up close gives visitors a chance to better understand this clean, local form of energy production,†said Nancy Nylen, associate director of CET and coordinator of the BREC. “The tours also give residents from communities that are considering wind power a chance to see firsthand what’s involved.â€
During the tour, participants learn about issues that may affect the energy future of the Berkshires and enjoy ample opportunity to ask questions. The Searsburg wind facility is only open for tours on a limited basis between July and October due to protection of black bear habitat.
More tour dates are scheduled for Saturday, August 4 and Saturday, August 25. Fall tours are planned for Saturday, September 8, Wednesday, September 19, Wednesday, October 3, and Saturday, October 13.
Space is limited to 20 individuals per tour. Reservations are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis by contacting CET at 413-445-4556 ext. 25 or by emailing cynthiag@cetonline.org. Directions to the site will be provided.
BREC is an ad hoc committee comprised of individuals representing educational, environmental, community and business interests. For more than 5 years, they have been working to promote energy conservation and increase the availability of renewable energy in the region. CET coordinates the activities of the BREC.
Support for this event comes from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust. CET is an equal opportunity service provider and is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
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Pittsfield Community Development OKs Airport Project, Cannabis Amendment
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Community Development Board has supported plans for a new hangar at the airport and a change to the cannabis ordinance.
Lyon Aviation, located in the Pittsfield Municipal Airport, plans to remove an existing "T" style hangar and replace it with a new, 22,000-square-foot hangar. The existing one is said to be small and in poor condition while the new build will accommodate a variety of plane sizes including a larger passenger jet.
"There's no traffic impacts, there's no utilities to speak of," Robert Fournier of SK Design Group explained.
"I'll say that we did review this at length with the airport commission in the city council and this is the way we were instructed to proceed was filing this site plan review and special permit application."
The application states that the need for additional hangar space is "well documented" by Lyon, Airport Manager Daniel Shearer, and the airport's 2020 master plan. The plan predicts that 15 additional hangar spaces will be needed by 2039 and this project can accommodate up to 10 smaller planes or a single large aircraft.
Lyon Aviation was founded in 1982 as a fix-based operator that provided fuel, maintenance, hangar services, charter, and flight instruction.
This is not the only project at the Tamarack Road airport, as the City Council recently approved a $300,000 borrowing for the construction of a new taxi lane. This will cover the costs of an engineering phase and will be reduced by federal and state grant monies that have been awarded to the airport.
The local share required is $15,000, with 95 percent covered by the Federal Aviation Administration and the state Department of Transportation's Aeronautics division.
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