PORTSMOUTH — The town
is scheduled to hold a public hearing Oct. 23 to consider options for its
broken wind turbine. An eventual decision by the Town Council is expected to
influence the direction of wind-energy projects in Rhode Island.
The 336-foot-high Portsmouth High School turbine has been idle since June 15 because of a broken gearbox. The designer of the turbine is no longer in business, invalidating the warranty. The estimated cost to buy and install a replacement gearbox is $760,000.
Acting town planner
Gary Crosby said Portsmouth has two other options. Take down the turbine, sell
the material for scrap and “figure out” how to pay off the balance of the bonds
that funded the $3 million project, or turn over a portion of the ownership to
a private wind-energy company.
The town is expected
to release details of the options Oct. 16. It seems likely that town officials
along with a hired consultant will recommend the public-private option to the
Town Council. So far, the town has received “some credible offers” from groups
interested in joint ownership, Crosby said.
Town Administrator
John Klimm said during a “Portsmouth This Week” video that finances will likely
determine the fate of the turbine. “We have a course of action to recommend to
the council that makes sense; that will put us back on track and will stand the
test of time," he said.
Klimm said taking down
the turbine is not a “thoughtful option.” The problem and solution is more
complicated. “I just ask that for those who are interested to have patience and
to see just how complex an issue this is,” he said.
Since it was erected
in 2009, the 1.5-megawatt turbine has delivered some $400,000 to the town.
The revenue is net of maintenance and debt service. That money has gone to the
School Department and the town's general fund.
Wind-energy opponents
have used Portsmouth’s turbine breakdown as ammunition to help defeat similar
public wind-turbine proposals in Westerly, Jamestown and Middletown.
Last year, the turbine
also prompted a complaint over its electricity purchase agreement with National
Grid. When running, the turbine delivers electricity directly to the power
grid. National Grid pays the town the same rate it charges retail customers to
buy electricity. Typically, the sale to National Grid offsets electric usage, a
process called "net metering." But, due to the timing of the project
and connection issues, the town was allowed to receive the gross payment for
the electricity it generates.
In October 2011, the
state Division of Public Utility and Carriers ruled that Portsmouth didn't
receive an excessive rate for the electricity it sells to National Grid.
Electricity rates have
dropped dramatically in recent months. Portsmouth therefore might also need to
alter the way it sells its electricity to continue to make money and pay for
its repairs.
“We made a decision
from the very beginning that we are going to do this right, not quickly,” Klimm
said.
The Oct. 23 workshop starts at 7 p.m. at Town
Hall.