January 5, 2015
Maryland

Turbines expected to generate 60 megawatts

ELAINE BLAISDELL, TIMES-NEWS STAFF WRITER | January 5, 2015 | www.times-news.com

FROSTBURG — Construction of 16 wind turbines that are a part of the Fourmile Wind project on Frostburg Road was completed in early December.

The Garrett County Office of Permits and Inspection Services is working on the certificates of use for each turbine, according to Jim Torrington, office director.

White Construction Inc., a subsidiary of Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives, LLC of Clinton, Ind., constructed the project.

Fourmile Ridge started out as a Synergics project with 24 wind turbines and was revised to an Exelon project with 16 wind turbines.

The Fourmile wind turbines are partially in-service and are expected to generate 60 megawatts, according to the Pennsylvania New Jersey Maryland Interconnection website.

There was delay with the project because it hinged on the decommissioning of the Grantsville VOR/DME system. VOR/DME refers to a combined radio navigation station for aircraft consisting of two beacons placed together.

The Maryland Public Service Commission approved the Fourmile wind project last year.

In other wind project news, the Exelon Fair Wind project, which consists of 12 wind turbines located south of the Clipper project along U.S. Route 50, is slated for construction this year, according to Torrington. The line easement for Fair Wind was signed in May and recorded in October.

During an administrative meeting in December, the Maryland Public Service Commission approved Fair Wind Power Partners’ application to construct up to 15 wind turbines on Backbone Mountain – but with conditions.

Also there is another project proposed in the same location as the Winding Ridge wind project east of Friendsville that was approved in 2012, according to Torrington. The project is the same location but the tranmission line is different. The original Winding Ridge project was for 20 wind turbines with an interconnect slated with the Penelec transmission system by tapping into the Deep Creek Penn Mar line and that project for that transmission line was suspended, according to the PJM website.

The project instead is slated to interconnect with the Potomac Edison transmission system by tapping into the Jennings Hazelton line. The proposed project is still slated to have 20 wind turbines and construction is slated to begin between June 2015 and June 2016, according to the Federal Aviation Administration website.

During an administrative meeting Dec. 17, the Maryland Public Service Commission approved Dan’s Mountain Wind Force LLC’s request for a third construction delay for 19 wind turbines atop that prominent Allegany County ridgeline. The PSC granted the motion to extend the deadline for the start of construction of the project to Dec. 31, 2016, and the deadline for the beginning of operations to Dec. 31, 2018.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/01/05/turbines-expected-to-generate-60-megawatts/