Canada - Jiminy Peak plans wind turbine project

Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort plans to erect a single wind turbine near its summit reservoir, on the western portion of the resort’s lands. Jiminy has received a competitively awarded grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative for $582,000 to offset the project’s total design and construction costs of approximately $2.1 million.

The 1 Megawatt wind turbine project will be capable of producing enough electricity to power more than 350 homes or approximately 30% of Jiminy Peak’s annual demand for electricity. The installation of a wind turbine is an excellent fit for the ski resort because Jiminy uses more electricity in the winter months, for snow making and lift operations, which is also the season when the winds will be the strongest and most steady. In addition, because of the existing trail and work road network at Jiminy Peak, transportation of the turbine components will not involve scarring virgin land.

The clean, emission-free electricity produced by the wind turbine means that a similar amount of electricity does not have to be generated by a coal, oil or gas fired power plant. Based on Massachusetts’ current electricity generation profile, the wind turbine would offset the annual emission of 4,100,000 pounds of Carbon Dioxide (CO2 is the leading cause of global warming); 18,000 pounds of Sulfur Dioxide (SOx is a leading contributor to smog and the primary cause of acid rain); and 5,900 pounds of Nitrous Oxide (NOx contributes to smog and is a leading cause of asthma).