June 20, 2011
Maryland

Landfill wind farm idea floated

Written by Jennifer Shutt, www.delmarvanow.com 20 June 2011

SNOW HILL – A wind company based in Minnesota may be interested in expanding to Worcester County by placing wind turbines on a landfill.

National Wind co-owner and co-chairman Patrick Pelstring is scheduled to meet with County Commissioners Tuesday to discuss the possibility of building a wind farm on county land.

“We are primarily looking at a private-sector project, but obviously if it would be on county land, we would need their cooperation,” said Pelstring.

The company is expected to ask Commissioners if they can put wind turbines atop county landfills, according to County Commissioner Virgil Shockley.

“My first question is, is it legal?” said Shockley. “I know the state of Maryland has a lot of restrictions in terms of what can and cannot be done in terms of landfills.”

If National Wind receives the letter of endorsement they have asked Commissioners for, they could build wind turbines atop the piles of garbage where winds are strongest.

“Where we have cells, we have buried stuff and piled stuff up so high that there is a high point of ground surrounded by a low point of ground,” Shockley said. The high points inside the landfills would not be blocked by surrounding debris – and get more wind.

National Wind has 15 wind farms either in development or operational in Arkansas, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Texas. The company wants to develop projects on the East and West coasts, according to Pelstring.

Pelstring said he did not want to give details away ahead of his meeting with the commissioners. But, he said, the “wind seems to blow pretty strong” in Worcester County.

Also at the meeting, the county commissioners are set to interview candidates for a vacant seat on the Board of Education. Former District 2 school board member Garry Mumford resigned earlier this year when he was named warden of the Worcester County Jail.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/06/20/landfill-wind-farm-idea-floated/