CHARLEMONT -- By this time next year, the Berkshire East Ski Resort could be powered by a 900-kilowatt wind turbine, now that the town Planning Board has voted to award the permit for the 331-foot turbine.

After hammering out several conditions under which to grant the permit, the board voted 4-1 in favor of the project. Planning Board member Daniel Miller cast his vote as an abstention because he wanted the ski resort to build a smaller wind turbine, which he said would still meet the ski resort's utility needs but have less visual impact on the rest of the town.

Other Planning Board members agreed that the visual impact was of greatest concern, but felt that a 200-foot wind turbine would still have a visual impact on the town, while limiting Berkshire East's ability to generate carbon-free power and more quickly recoup its investment in the infrastructure. The turbine is expected to cost about $2.9 million and have a life span of about 20 years.

The wind turbine is expected to generate all the electrical power needed by the resort without putting carbon or mercury into the atmosphere, as happens with coal-generated power. The cost of the project will be offset by a $400,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC).

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