A plan for an energy-producing wind turbine proposed by the Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority must satisfy several state Department of Environmental Protection regulations before actual construction can start, state officials said.

The authority received preliminary DEP approval via an e-mail on Oct. 2, said authority executive director Robert C. Fischer, and it is awaiting final approval before seeking bids from potential building contractors.

"They (DEP) still have to give us the authorization to advertise on it," Fischer said. "The moment that we get that, we are going out to bid."

The project price tag is estimated around $7.7 million.

The wind turbine would be built at the west end of the 1.2-square-mile borough and could generate 1.5 megawatts of electricity per hour. It would be perched on a 240-foot-high pedestal constructed on a concrete pad over 24 pilings adjacent to Raritan Bay, and would include three 118-foot blades attached to a 380-foot tower.

DEP officials say there are a few more administrative steps to complete before the authority can start pouring the concrete. DEP spokeswoman Karen Hershey said the DEP first must formally adopt a set of guidelines and regulations, proposed in September, for wind turbines.

The approval process, said Hershey, includes a public meeting at DEP headquarters in Trenton on Wednesday for any wind turbine project proposed in the state, including the Bayshore project.

Also, anyone may file an administrative appeal opposing the permit and request a hearing within 30 days after the DEP publishes its permit decision in the DEP Bulletin. The DEP also has a time period in which to accept and reply to any public comments about the permit.

"It could take a number of months for the DEP to read and respond to the comments and make any changes they make in the adoption docket," Hershey said.

Union Beach officials have opposed the project and they sent a formal objection in writing to the DEP in September.

Councilman Michael Harriott said the Borough Council is concerned about potential noise and the possible impact on residential property values.

Harriott cited a potential "shadow flicker" effect by the turbine blades on 25 homes adjacent to the tower. For two weeks during the winter and summer, the sun's position in the sky behind the blades could create that effect for a short period each day, he said.

Authority officials they said would consider turning the turbine off during the flicker periods.

Fischer said the turbine tower would save electricity and later reduce residents' sewer rates.

"Energy is the one of the highest line-item costs that we have," Fischer said. "Last year alone, we spent over a $1 million on electricity."

"As a result of this project, we should be able to begin to reduce sewer rates - not reducing the increase in rates, but the actual rates," Fischer said.

The turbine would be funded through the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust, which would provide a grant to cover 50 percent of the project, Fischer said. To obtain a $3.8 million grant from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the wind turbine must be constructed by next February.

A state group, the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), also opposes the wind turbine, claiming the Bayshore authority and DEP are trying to rush the project through so it does not lose the federal stimulus funds.

PEER Director Bill Wolfe, a former DEP analyst, said the authority wants to start construction before finishing required studies on any environmental impact the turbine might have on area bird life.

Frank A. Wells, who is the authority's assistant treasurer and a former council member, said Union Beach officials opposed the turbine after receiving misinformation about its environmental impact.

Wells said the authority will hold an open house meeting at its 100 Oak St. location in either late October or early November to allow council members and residents to ask questions about the project. Wind turbine experts will attend to provide information, Wells said.