May 9, 2012
New Jersey

Bayonne wind turbine stands stationary and silent

By Andrew Steadman/The Jersey Journal, www.nj.com 9 May 2012

When the City of Bayonne announced plans to erect a 260-foot wind turbine at the Oak Street Pumping Station, some residents expressed concerns about the giant windmill’s proximity to houses.

Though residents were worried about the amount of noise the turbine would make, those fears have proven unfounded so far. That’s because the turbine is still not operational. Its massive propeller still stands stationary – and silent.

The turbine was completed in late January. At the time, officials estimated the turbine would be operational by March. However, the blades still aren’t spinning, and there is no new estimate on when the turbine will start generating power for the Oak Street and Fifth Street pumping stations.

City spokesman Joe Ryan confirmed the turbine is not yet functioning but could not provide information on plans for its activation. Steve Gallo, BMUA executive director, had not returned a call inquiring about the turbine’s status at the time of this posting.

Located at the Bayonne Municipal Utility Authority’s Oak Street Pumping station, the turbine is predicted to produce 3.3 gigawatt hours of electricity a year, enough to power 600 single-family homes for the year, officials said at the time of the turbine’s unveiling.

Comprised of a roughly 260-foot tower and a 1.5 megawatt center piece, the turbine will be used to assist in powering the both the city’s Oak Street and Fifth Street pumping stations.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/05/09/bayonne-wind-turbine-stands-stationary-and-silent/