December 10, 2010
Connecticut

Wind turbines in Colebrook

By SHAW ISRAEL IZIKSON - Staff Reporter, Winsted Journal, www.tcextra.com 10 December 2010

COLEBROOK – A West Hartford company is developing what could be the state’s first wind farm.

BNE Energy Inc. is proposing the construction of six 328-foot wind turbines on two pieces of land in town.

According to BNE spokesman Paul Corey, the company plans to construct three wind turbines on 80 acres of property on 29 Flagg Hill Road, while the other three would be constructed on 125 acres of property at the corner of Route 44 and Rock Hall Road.

While BNE Energy owns the Flagg Hill property, the Rock Hall Road property is privately owned and will be leased by the company.

“There is only a handful of homes on both roads, and we don’t think it will have a substantial impact to other people’s properties,” Corey said. “We think that the impact of the wind turbines will be positive. Wind farms are a good way to provide renewable energy. The projects will also preserve a vast amount of both properties and keep it in its natural state, as opposed to a residential development, which would have a greater impact on the land. We will only use a small amount of acreage for the turbines.”

Corey said once both turbine projects are completed, the company will be the largest taxpayer in the town, paying 10 percent of the town’s current budget.

However, the turbines will not be directly used for Colebrook residents’ energy needs. Instead, Corey said, the energy produced by the turbines will go into an electrical grid for use by electric customers throughout New England.

“This will have a positive impact on customers’ electric rates,” he said. “It’s too difficult to say how much of an impact. It’s important to add renewable energy throughout the state and throughout New England. The more wind power comes online, the more positive impact it will have.”

Corey said the company filed petitions for the project with the Connecticut Siting Council this week.

From there, the council will have six months to decide whether or not the projects will go forward. Corey said he expects the council to schedule public hearings on the project, but that has not yet been done.

He added that the company expects the council to approve the projects and that both projects should be up and running by next year.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/12/10/wind-turbines-in-colebrook/