In late 2009 residents here and in surrounding towns may see wind turbines along Georgia Mountain.

Jim Harrison and his family, owners of Harrison Concrete, have proposed the construction of 400-foot-tall wind towers on 700 acres the family owns on the southeastern summit of Georgia Mountain in Milton, along the Chittenden and Franklin County line.

Harrison said his reason for undertaking the project is the need for renewable energy, describing the project as a "way a small family can make a difference."

Less than a half-mile of ridgeline is windy enough to support the installation of mega-watt scale wind turbines, according to materials provided by Steve Bourgeois, CEO of Strategic Initiatives for Business, who is advising the family on the project.

However, several companies have expressed interest in supplying turbines for the project, creating a range of possibilities for the final project depending on what is economically and environmentally feasible.

The most likely scenario is for either three or four turbines. If four were built three would be on the Harrison land in Chittenden County and one would be on leased land in Franklin County. Wind generation would be 4.5 megawatts with three towers and 6 megawatts with four, according to Bourgeois.

The industry standard for cost is $2.5 million per mega watt of capacity, Bourgeois said. Applying that standard the cost for the project would be $11.25 million to $15 million.

Generally one megawatt of capacity can supply the electricity for 430 homes for a year, according to John Zimmerman, of Vermont Energy Research Associates, an advisor on the project.

The turbines would generate enough electricity to power roughly 60 percent of the homes in Milton, Bourgeois said. Negotiations are still ongoing with various utilities interested in purchasing the power.

"The technology is improving, it seems, weekly," Bourgeois said. By the time the project is through the permitting process the turbines actually placed on the mountain may generate more electricity than is being projected now.

A study of wind speed in the proposed building area is now in its second year and environmental impact studies looking at the impact of the project on wildlife have begun.

The project already has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Dept. of Homeland Security, Harrison said.

All of the outstanding permits will come from the state, Janet Harrison explained. An Act 250 permit is not required.

There are no residences located within a half-mile of the project, which Harrison said is the rule of thumb for how close others have to be to the project to hear the turbines. Bourgeois said the towers sound much like the hum of a refrigerator, and are about as loud.

An existing gravel road located 2.5 miles from downtown Milton would have to be upgraded and extended for the project. A single cable will carry power from the turbines down the mountain and will be placed on poles the same size as those alongside most roadways Janet said.

The Harrisons are "making it as aesthetically pleasing as they can," Bourgeois said.

The project has been presented to selectboards in Milton, Georgia, Fairfax and Westford, where it has received a good response Janet Harrison said. The towers would be visible to residents living in those towns.

The Harrison's son, Kevin, said the family has not received a lot of feedback either way.

"We're just a local family trying to make the future better," their daughter Kathy Harrison said.

Others involved in the project include Cross Consulting Engineers, and Steve Terry of Addison Consulting LLC, a retired Green Mountain Power executive.