Hoosac Wind Power Project

The Hoosac Wind Project, which is located in the towns of Florida and Monroe, Massachusetts, is currently in the environmental-study stage of development. The Project is broken up into two separate groups of turbines – nine on Crum Hill in Monroe, and ten on Bakke Mountain in Florida.

Each turbine is rated at 1.5 megawatts (MW), so the 19-turbine site would produce 28.5 MW of power. This is enough energy to supply approximately 9500 average homes in the region. The towers would be 65 meters (213 feet) tall, with 38.5-meter (126-foot) blades. The turbines begin generating energy at wind speeds as low as 9 mph, and produce the maximum power output when winds blow above 30 mph. The maximum rotor speed is around 20 rpm.

The Project already has tentative approval from both Florida and Monroe and has taken wind-speed and -direction data for over a year. Avian, archeological, and geological, and wildlife studies are underway, and the Project expects to file for special permits by late 2003.

See http://www.hoosacwind.com/for more information.