October 18, 2012
Rhode Island

413-foot wind turbine to be completed next week

By Samantha Turner | North Kingstown Patch | October 18, 2012 | northkingstown.patch.com

The newest addition to the North Kingstown skyline will be completed by the middle of next week. According to Mark DePasquale of Wind Energy Development LLC, construction will finish on a 413-foot wind turbine in his backyard in North Kingstown Green off Ten Rod Road by Wednesday. The tower and nacelle (with a height of about 262 feet) of the wind turbine are already erected, but the turbine’s 134-foot-long blades will be added to the structure in the coming days.

The 413-foot, 1.5 megawatt Goldwind turbine will be the first turbine lined up for installation by developer Wind Energy Development LLC, based in North Kingstown.

According to DePasquale, upwards of 134 workers have helped with the construction of the wind turbine. The workers (all certified union members) have been trained in wind turbine installation, said DePasquale.

The turbine – which was originally slated to be 427 feet tall – is identical to the trio of 365-feet tall turbines in Providence – operated by the Narragansett Bay Commission – said DePasquale. (The Providence turbines were modified to be shorter in order to align with FAA regulations, said DePasquale. All four turbines are all manufactured by Goldwind.)

Though the turbine will be completed next week, DePasquale says the turbine won’t be commissioned until early December when it will become fully operational.

The wind turbine will be located in North Kingstown Green, a subdivision owned by DePasquale, right in DePasquale’s backyard. Residents of the subdivision will receive monthly payments of $150 to go toward electricity bills because of the turbine.

“We normally lease the land where these turbines are located,” said DePasquale. “With North Kingstown Green, we’re splitting that would-be lease payment with the homeowners in the neighborhood.”

The turbine, which will be one of the tallest structures in the state in about a week, has attracted a lot of attention and curiosity from those in the area. DePasquale welcomes the attention, but urges onlookers to be mindful of residents in the neighborhood – especially children in the area.

“I support people who want to drive through and take a look,” said DePasquale. “I just want them to be careful and drive slow because we have children in the neighborhood.”

DePasquale is asking motorists to drive slowly and to follow Rodman Lane to view the turbine from the cul de sac at the end of the subdivision rather than driving through Thornton Way.