Three Wind Turbines Push Gloucester to Renewable Energy Forefront
Boston Globe
By Steven A. Rosenberg
Globe Staff /
January 5, 2013
GLOUCESTER — For centuries, wind has played a central
role in Gloucester’s economy, pushing fishing vessels across oceans, and
helping to make the port the most storied fishing village in the country.
These days, the city and private developers are looking to
the wind to save money and to cut down on burning fossil fuel. Gloucester has
become the first community in the North region with three turbines, taking
advantage of an average daily wind speed of nearly 16 miles per hour.
“It’s a statement about choosing our own destiny and
becoming independent from oil,” said Mayor Carolyn Kirk. “We’re a progressive
community that has always relied on the wind. This is a natural fit for
Gloucester.”
Like burnished, inanimate giants, the three turbines and
blades each stretch over 400 feet into the air. They’re the latest to be
hoisted into the sky by developers and municipalities that are looking for
alternative energy. In Ipswich,
a second turbine is being built and should be running by the end of the year,
with the pair set to provide 7 percent of the town’s power. In Medford, a small
turbine helps power a middle school and saves the city $25,000 annually. The
Lynn Water and Sewer Commission is erecting a 254-foot-high turbine along the
Lynnway, a $1.8 million investment that will save the city as much as $5
million over the next 20 years.
Read more at the Globe.
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