April 10, 2012
West Virginia

Noise control equipment going in at Pinnacle Wind Farm

By Pam Kasey, The State Journal, www.statejournal.com 10 April 2012

Edison Mission Group announced April 9 that it will install noise-abatement equipment at its Pinnacle Wind Farm at NewPage located on Green Mountain near Keyser, W.Va.

The facility began commercial operation in January. In February, a local resident filed a complaint about the noise with the Public Service Commission of West Virginia.

California-based EMG responded by conducting tests with turbine manufacturer Mitsubishi. A field test of an “acoustic louver” on one turbine at Pinnacle has resulted in significant noise reduction, the company said. The equipment will now be installed on the remaining 22 wind turbines.

“Based on concerns expressed by some area residents, we performed extensive analysis of the noise from these turbines,” said Charley Parnell, vice president of Public Affairs for EMG in an April 9 media release.

“We believe Pinnacle is operating in a manner that meets the requirements of our permits, but taking additional steps to mitigate noise is an important part of our commitment to be a responsible corporate citizen of the communities in which we operate,” Parnell said.

The company said it will invest about $500,000 to install the noise mitigation equipment and expects to complete the work by July.

“After hearing concerns from area residents about the noise levels of the wind turbines, I contacted Edison Mission on their behalf,” said Delegate Gary Howell of the West Virginia House of Delegates.

“Edison Mission from the beginning said they were not just going to be a company in Mineral County, but they would be active members of our community,” Howell said. “I’m pleased that the company has been good to their word and found a solution to this issue.”

In response to another resident complaint, EMG also said that it will re-surface portions of two roads adjacent to the site.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/04/10/noise-control-equipment-going-in-at-pinnacle-wind-farm/