Mass. One of 2 States to Test Wind-Power Blades

By Hillary Chabot, The Sun, Lowell, Mass.

Jun. 26–BOSTON — Massachusetts will be one of two states building a state-of-the-art facility to test turbines used in wind power.

The facility will place the state at the forefront of wind power and alternative energy, said U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, who outlined the facility with Gov. Deval Patrick at a press conference yesterday.

“This will make Massachusetts a global center for clean energy technology,” Patrick said. “This is a big step for us.”

Massachusetts and Texas were selected from six semi-finalists to build the testing facilities. The other states in the running included Iowa, Maine, Ohio, and Virginia.

A collaboration between privately-owned Massachusetts Technical Collaborative and the University of Massachusetts, the state Office of Economic Development and the Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs will complete the project.

The $20-million center will place the 70-meter blades used in wind power on a hangar and test them against wind and vibrations to ensure they

would hold up on the open sea. To be located in Charlestown, the facility will receive $2 million in equipment from federal officials, $13 million will come from private and public funds, and $5 million will be paid out of an established reserve fund.

U.S. Rep. Marty Meehan joined Patrick, Bodman, Rep. Bill Delahunt, and UMass President Jack Wilson to announce the center.

Meehan, who will become chancellor at UMass Lowell next week, said he plans on talking to Wilson about how UMass Lowell can join the initiative.

“We’re going to look for any opportunity for Lowell to cooperate with UMass. We’ll be looking for those opportunities,” Meehan said.

While local legislators welcomed the facility and the state’s prominent position in expanding the use of alternative energy, many are still concerned about where the wind farms will go. Cape Wind, a $900 million wind farm which would be located off Nantucket Sound, has been an extremely controversial project.

“We need alternative energy, that is crystal clear. Obviously I’m in favor of this but I’d want to make sure it has no impact on the quality of life for residents,” said state Rep. Kevin Murphy, D-Lowell.

In order to be effective, wind farms need to be located far off shore in the ocean, said Bodman.

Patrick also announced a plan to conserve energy by asking private companies to pay for energy conservation efforts and allowing them to raise rates for customers in an effort to slow energy use.

The plan would ask Nstar and National Grid to pay for energy conservation efforts, such as installing energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs and appliances. Customers would still save money because they would be using less energy, Patrick argued.

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