By Jim McGaw - January 27, 2016
Wind Energy Development (WED) of North Kingstown started staging heavy equipment at the site Monday, several days ahead of schedule, and took off the blade and other parts on Wednesday.
Voters approved building the turbine with a $3 million bond issue in 2007. The windmill was built in 2009 but has been idle since 2012 due to a broken gearbox supplied by a company that has since gone bankrupt.
In November 2014 the council voted to enter into a contract with WED that would allow the town to pay off the remaining debt that’s left on the turbine. Under the agreement, WED was to pay a lump sum of $1.45 million to the town. In exchange, the town would buy energy generated from the new 1.5-megawatt turbine over a 25-year period at a rate of 15.5 cents per kilowatt hour.
On Jan. 11, the council approved WED’s request to build a turbine that’s 65 feet taller than the existing one. The new turbine will top out at 85 meters, or about 279 feet.
Mr. DePasquale said the 85-meter turbine is the industry standard, which will allow WED to get it up and running sooner because a smaller machine requires bank approval.
View more photos by Richard W. Dionne Jr. of the turbine’s disassembly below.
So why would this wind turbine with a broken gearbox be on the agenda of tonight's Light Department meeting?
ReplyDeleteMaybe TMLWP can pick up a broken gearbox for free?
Then they will have to incur the cost of decommissioning and disposal of two turbines.
Now THAT makes sense.
david smartFebruary 16, 2016 at 3:57 PM
ReplyDeleteThe Board, Manager and Superintendent had all taken great offense to several indirect
accusations made by the light union group here thru Local 104 that safety was not being taken
seriously here at the TMlP when it related to the wind turbine. Both the Manager and the
Superintendent had worked to promote a safe work environment both inside and outside of the
wind turbine going back to September 2010, its commercial operation date. Neither of them had
any recollection of ever saying NO to any additional equipment, tools or safety training necessary
for wind turbine work, yet there were allegations being made throughout tonight's conversation
with Local 104 that such an unsafe work environment had been pushed onto 5 of the 8 in this
light union group here.
The greater shock experienced tonight, at least by the Manager and by the Superintendent,
was the deafening silence of Nick Houston
the Shop Steward here throughout much if not all of
Brian's monologue on wind turbine safety. At no point in the Open Session was Brian corrected
by Nick on any of these indirect accusations against John and against Tom. It shall forthwith be
our opinion that the ENTIRE group feels this way and not just Nick, his being the representative
of the light union group in Local 104.
It shall further be a matter of public record that allegations of safety violations were made
against the TMLP by Local 104 in an open public meeting which has necessitated an internal
investigation by John and by Tom. Both of us will be going through work orders and tailboard
discussion worksheets and having discussions about past morning meetings going back to
September 2010 in Tom's office with the Working Foreman and the two Lead Linemen in an
effort to come upon instances documented where the TMLP has said NO to workplace safety.]
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