Document Actions
Hull Wind One
Location: Hull, Massachusetts
Owner: Hull Municipal Light Plant (HMLP)
Capacity: 660kW
Turbine: Vestas V 47 turbine
Online: Dec. 27, 2001
Developer: HMLP
Cost: $753,000
In 2001, the first suburban-sited turbine on the North American continent was installed at Windmill Point, a Boston Harbor peninsula in Hull, Massachusetts. The project was financed through Hull Municipal Light Plant (HMLP)'s rate stabilization fund.
Hull had previously had a 40kW wind turbine installed very close to where the current turbine is now located. The turbine produced energy from 1985 to 1997, when a windstorm damaged it beyond repair. Experience with that turbine was not altogether positive, but it did help to focus attention on important issues and minimize concern with issues such as the visual impact, noise and skepticism about modern wind technology.
In 1998, a study was carried out by the University of Massachusetts’ Renewable Energy Research Laboratory (UMass RERL) to review the issues related to the installation of a wind turbine at the site. This included wind-resource assessments, discussions of regulatory issues, noise-level tabulations, projected economic viability under various scenarios and presentation of computer-generated photo simulations of possible sites.
In June 2000, HMLP held a public meeting with experts and representatives from various fields. Following the strongly positive results of this meeting, HMLP put out a Request for Proposals in January 2001 for the supply and installation of a wind turbine. In April the town accepted Vestas’ bid out of the three received.
The participation of the HMLP in all stages in the process simplified the turbine acquisition. It also facilitated the decision making process which involved the public at every step.
HMLP saves $.08/kWh for the power that the turbine produces by avoiding the purchase of electricity from wholesalers. Together with sales of the Renewable Energy Certificates through the Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance and the Production Tax Credit, the total current value of the power produced by the turbine in Hull is $.128/kWh. With this energy offset, the 660kW turbine paid for itself within four years from being brought online.
Following the success of the first project and the community’s overwhelming support, HMLP funded and installed its second turbine in 2006. “Hull Wind Two,” a 1.8MW Vestas V80, sits atop the town’s capped landfill, producing more than 1 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy in its first six months of operation.
References and Additional Information:
