November 28, 2012
New York

New windmill in Madison County nears completion

By Alaina Potrikus, The Post-Standard | November 27, 2012 | www.syracuse.com

There are 20 windmills standing in the town of Fenner once again, as construction of a new turbine at the site of an unprecedented collapse in 2009 nears completion.

Cranes installed the blades of the town’s newest turbine today, hoisting them in place along with a new nacelle, or center hub.

The new windmill is a bit larger than its predecessor, with a 65 foot taller tower and slightly longer blades. The existing towers measure 212 feet from the ground to the center hub, and 329 feet from the ground to the tip of a blade at its full height.

Wind farm officials said it will take about a week before the new turbine is fully operational.

Fenner Supervisor Russell Cary said he was excited for the turbine’s new technology, which experts say will make the windmill more efficient and effective.

“It is a step forward,” Cary said. “We are on the cutting edge once again.”

The Fenner Wind Farm was the largest project of its kind east of the Mississippi River when the 20 turbines were first installed in 2002. It generates enough electricity to power up to 10,000 homes.

Turbine 18 crashed down in the middle of a cornfield on Buyea Road just before dawn Dec. 27, 2009. Enel officials said the results of its investigation into the accident were “inconclusive, with not a single cause of the collapse.”

In the wake of the accident, the developer reinforced the concrete bases of the 19 remaining windmills.

“All the other turbines have been thoroughly investigated and have been deemed safe for continued operation,” said Enel spokeswoman Kossara Marchinkova.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/11/28/new-windmill-in-madison-county-nears-completion/