September 7, 2013
Massachusetts

Two new wind turbines slated for Upper Cape military base

By George Brennan | Cape Cod Times | September 6, 2013 | www.capecodonline.com

SAGAMORE – If you’ve driven over the Sagamore Bridge onto Cape Cod in recent days, you’ve likely spotted a large crane poking out of the trees adjacent to two wind turbines at Joint Base Cape Cod.

The crane has been moved into place ready to heave two additional wind turbines skyward, Stephen Mellin, support officer for Cape Cod Air Force Station’s 6th Space Squadron, said today.

Foundations for the two additional wind turbines have been poured.

The two 1.68 megawatt turbines are expected to provide about half of the electricity for PAVE PAWS radar station at an annual savings of about $600,000, Mellin said.

Late next week or early the following week, passersby will begin to see the nearly 400-foot towers hoisted into the air. One of the towers is on site and the other is expected next week, Mellin said. The blades are expected in about two weeks, he said.

The new turbines join three other wind turbines already generating electricity on the base. There is also a smaller wind turbine generating electricity at the Massachusetts National Cemetery just outside the base’s Bourne gate.

The base turbines have avoided the backlash of other land-based turbines, like those in Falmouth, because they are located away from residential neighborhoods.

In sharp contrast, the military has been honored nationally for its use of wind and solar energy to reduce the cost of its overall electric bill on the base.

“I actually live down the foot of the hill and I’m one of the closest to the turbines,” Mellin said. The turbines can’t be heard and there is no flicker from the blades outside the base boundaries, he said. “We made sure no one would be impacted by these.”

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URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/09/07/two-new-wind-turbines-slated-for-upper-cape-military-base/