By Scott MacKeen
Staff Writer
10/8/09
The committee formed to study the feasibility of wind turbines in town will hold a meeting Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. at the senior center to update the public on the plan.
Annual Town Meeting in May approved a zoning plan that would allow two of the energy-efficient structures to be placed on a town-owned parcel in the Quarry Hills, near Granite Links Golf Club.
According to Rich Kleiman, chairman of the Wind Energy Committee, the meeting will include updates on where the town stands in term of financing the 480-foot turbines and the plans to place balloons on the site where they would be built, simulating how visible they would be.
“We’re probably going to be [putting up the balloons] sometime in October. We’ll let people know when that is,” said Kleiman, adding that the balloons will probably remain up for “a few weeks” to allow residents to view the height and visibility of the turbines. “We’ll try to answer everyone’s questions as best we can.”
Since Town Meeting, the committee has been working to get the turbines located in a spot that doesn’t impact a nearby archeological site and also on financing issues, Kleiman said.
According to the zoning, the turbines would have to be built 1,200 feet away from the nearest dwelling, 1,100 feet from the closest state highway and 1,150 feet from the nearest public road. They would also have to be set back at least 100 feet from the golf course.
Financing could include state and federal grants or a borrowing plan. “We’ve been applying for some state and federal assistance. But even if we didn’t get those grants, the financial future for these turbines is robust. We think it’s a huge money-saver for the town,” Kleiman said.
The town has submitted for a federal zero-interest bonding plan and for a state grant that could cover design and construction costs of the turbines, he said.
According to town estimates, savings from the turbines – from between $600,000 and $900,000 apiece – could wipe out the entire bill from annual energy usage on municipal buildings, but only after the town pays back the cost to build them.
The turbines would cost at least $4 million apiece to install and require additional maintenance costs each year. They are designed to last up to 25 years.
Kleiman’s estimate at Town Meeting was that Milton could expect a three- to seven-year “break even” period on the turbines before achieving their full savings.
The Oct. 13 meeting will take place at the senior center, at 10 Walnut St. For more information, call the town planner’s office at (617) 898-4847.
The Wind Energy Committee’s most recent report can be found at www.townofmilton.org under the “Quick Links” heading.