March 20, 2012
Rhode Island

What’s preventing new wind turbine from spinning

By Sandy McGee, Portsmouth Patch, portsmouth.patch.com 20 March 2012

It’s been more than two months since construction on the Hodges Badge wind turbine was completed, and yet the turbine is still not turning.

What’s the hold up?

Rick Hodges, owner of the Hodges Badge company, says they are waiting on certificates and approval from National Grid before turning on the turbine. Hodges writes about the process in the following e-mail:

We are getting very close. National Grid says that we should have their letter some time next week stating that we have met all of their conditions to connect to the grid. The other thing we are waiting from is a welding certification (which has to come from the tower manufacturer in India) and should also be here next week.

When we have both of those, we can finish the installation and turn it on! We are trying to get the technician here next week, but that will only happen if the other turbine he’s working on gets done by then, otherwise it will be a few days longer.

Following the commissioning of the turbine and acceptance by National Grid, the turbine will become the third in operation in Portsmouth, and the fourth on Aquidneck Island. In Portsmouth, a turbine is already located at Portsmouth High School and another stands erected at Portsmouth Abbey.

Able to generate power at a wind speed of just nine miles per hour, the turbine is expected to cover the electrical needs of Hodges’ entire manufacturing operation.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/03/20/whats-preventing-new-wind-turbine-from-spinning/