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Emily Dahl, a spokesperson for the trust, said DNV Global Energy Concepts, a company with offices in Lowell, would be performing what she called a "desktop analysis," essentially a computer-based review of the suggested to sites to see which, if any, warrant a detailed assessment.
Possible locations include all four public schools, the transfer station, North Hill golf course and town hall.
The desktop analysis, explained Dahl, would look at computer models, wind resource maps, as well as considering the site's proximity to residents and wetlands. It's intended to look for "fatal flaws" to a possible location being appropriate for a wind turbine.
Once that's done, any locations that pass that hurdle would be given a detailed on-site assessment
The whole process would be finished by the end of September, said Dahl.
Once a location, if any is chosen, the next step would be the placement of a meteorological tower which would be used for an approximately year long study of weather patterns at the location.
"We're really on the preliminary end, before we can qualify for grants," said Alternative Energy Committee Chairman Frank Duggan.
According Duggan, the total cost of the state's site assessment is roughly $30,000.
If a location is chosen the town could apply for additional grants to actually construct the turbine.
Besides the technical hurdles, the alternative energy committee has a legal hurdle to leap as well. The town currently has no bylaws permitting or regulating the location of a wind tower. "It's a polarizing issue," said Duggan, as some people firmly support winds power, others firmly oppose it, and others like it, as long as its not in their neighborhood. The committee hopes to have a bylaw prepared for the annual town meeting in the spring.
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