Crane & Co. Receives Grant for New Turbine
DALTON, Mass. — Crane & Co. is poised to move forward with the development of a hydropower turbine on its Dalton property after receiving a $500,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's Renewable Energy Trust Fund.
"With this grant, we can proceed further with an analysis of the project now that we know it's financially feasible," said James Noel, the manager of environmental affairs at Crane & Co, on Thursday.
The funds will be used to replace the turbines currently in use with more modern and efficient equipment. Additionally, the grant will help fund the design and construction of a hydropower generation facility. The estimated cost for the entire project is $1.3 million. Noel said, if plans for the facility are approved by the company, permitting can begin as early as December with hopes to have the new equipment fully operational by late 2009 or early 2010.
"It's really an exciting project," said Noel, who added that future funding would come from a variety of sources.
Rep. Denis E. Guyer, D-Dalton, commended Crane & Co. not only for its newest efforts at promoting renewable energy but also for its continued commitment to eco-friendly practices.
"Crane has a long history of environmental stewardship on the Housatonic River and has been a leader in using renewable energy sources as well as renewable materials for papermaking for over 200 years. It is my hope that the investment that Crane is making in hydropower will allow the company to better control and predict their energy costs in the future," Guyer said.
"It's just another project for us but we could also be part of cutting back on our dependency on fossil fuels and that's exciting," said Noel.
Crane & Co. manufactures the nation's currency paper and fine and specialized stationary.
A total of 42 grants were awarded statewide in Round 4 of the Large Onsite Renewables Initiative grants through the MTC. The aim of these awards is "to expand the production and use of distributed renewable energy technologies in Massachusetts," according to the agency. Approximately $3.75 million was available to applicants in Round 4 for either feasibility studies or design and construction.
