The City of Methuen was awarded a grant to study the potential for wind turbines on the site of the former Methuen Ski Hill. Methuen’s application was prepared by City Engineer Frank Russo, and I would like to thank him for his efforts. My thanks as well to Rep. Linda Campbell, Rep Barbara L’Italien, and Senator Steve Baddour for their efforts in supporting our application to the Renewable Energy Trust. The grant acceptance letter is below.

The Renewable Energy Trust (RET) is pleased to offer assistance to the City of Methuen for a Municipal Site Survey of a proposed site on the former Methuen Ski Hill. Up to $5,600 of this award is allocated for this work.

The site survey will provide Methuen a preliminary assessment of the potential for wind generation on the proposed site by identifying the advantages, disadvantages, and potential fatal flaws of the location. Ultimately, the site survey will help Methuen determine whether it is reasonable to undertake a more comprehensive feasibility study for a wind project at this site.

The site survey process requires the active participation of the City of Methuen, RET, and RET’s technical consultant the Renewable Energy Research Laboratory (RERL) at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. RERL will conduct a desk-top analysis to determine whether the proposed site is of sufficient size and wind resource to warrant a detailed site survey. If it does, RERL will schedule a visit to the proposed site with the City of Methuen, and issue a Municipal Wind Survey Report within 45 days of the site visit.

MTC staff will be available to review the report and assist the City of Methuen with the interpretation of the results as well as map out potential next steps.