A South Coast Wind Power Collaborative meeting held in Marion this week brought everything from frustration to hope as several initiatives were discussed.

Reports on Sodar wind speed testing done at Old Rochester Regional High School and Mattapoisett's landfill brought mixed results. Wind speeds at both locations did not prove sufficient to suggest a feasibility study, but they did bring a suggestion of further study from Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) representative Nils Bolgen.

Bolgen acknowledged that one of the issues facing those who hope to erect wind turbines is a lack of sufficient wind in the area, except very close to the coast. Still he suggested studies of finance issues and wind data for both sites with the hope that sufficient evidence could be found to move forward with wind power proposals. MTC will fund the suggested studies, which are expected to be completed by February, 2009.

Reports from other towns on wind turbine initiatives brought a range of news, and a lot of suggestions gained through experience.

Jeff Osuch, Fairhaven's executive secretary, announced that his town's wind turbine initiative had stalled due to a lawsuit brought by 11 residents.

"I think (opposition) is a problem in any community," Osuch said.

Osuch warned that the mention of wind turbines often raises concerns among residents about zoning, wetlands, the need for special permits, and issues such as noise, which require studies. He offered a number of suggestions for communities beginning to explore wind turbines. He said public/private partnerships, especially in current economic circumstances, should be considered. Often with only a contribution of land, developers, because of financial incentives, are willing to come in and finance and erect wind turbines.

Osuch also warned that Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for wind turbines require a lot of consideration and advance preparation. Preliminary discussions with selectmen and town officials, collection of wind data, identification of potential sites, access to sites, and what a town specifically wants to gain from a wind turbine all need to be determined.

Ron DePippo said Dartmouth hasn't experienced the opposition reported by Osuch.

"I haven't heard a peep of opposition from anybody," he said.

DePippo attributed the lack of opposition to public education. Eight Dartmouth residents are now in varying stages of wind turbine proposals and construction, and a landscape nursery now has three wind turbines.

The best news of all came from Mass Maritime Academy representative Paul O'Keefe. A wind turbine at the academy is resulting in utility cost savings of approximately $160,000 per year. In addition the academy is profiting approximately $58,000 per year by selling power generated in excess of that which is needed by the academy.

Upper Cape Regional Vocational Technical High School Superintendent Kevin Farr said the school has experienced considerable savings as a result of a wind turbine it has erected and is now seeking, through a collaborative effort with Bourne and Cape Cod Canal officials, permission to erect a second turbine. Farr said the benefits to the school have included opportunities for students to be involved in data collection and to learn wind turbine maintenance skills. One current drawback to wind turbines is that the area lacks people trained in turbine maintenance and has to look to a company in Vermont for service, Farr said.

Despite a lot of good news, the meeting left Mattapoisett resident Frank Haggerty shaking his head. Haggerty told the Observer he can't understand why, if wind power in the area is generally not sufficient to support wind turbines, committees across the region aren't giving more consideration to GeoThermal, Photo Voltaic and Thermal Heat Exchangers.

"Is the reason for the commercial wind turbines that they are 400 feet tall and stand as testimony or a trophy that ‘my town is trying to do something about renewable energy?'" Haggerty asked.