School mulls wind power

CALCIUM - The Indian River Central School District is looking into putting a wind turbine on one of its campuses to decrease the district's energy costs and carbon footprint.

If the project goes forward, Indian River high school students will be contributing to the project research.

"We are proposing a study to assess the wind we have," district Business Manager James R. Koch said, at the Board of Education meeting on Thursday night.

An alternative energy subcommittee of the district Buildings and Grounds Committee has been doing preliminary research to see if one of the campuses is a feasible location for a wind turbine. The subcommittee includes district administrators, school board members and teachers.

The subcommittee is seeking permission from the board to fund a study that will assess the wind on some of the Indian River campuses. The study will determine how tall a turbine needs to be and where it should be located.

Some district science teachers are doing in-house wind energy research to supplement the proposed external study. They plan to involve their students by doing wind energy projects in their environmental science and public affairs classes, said Indian River High School Principal Troy W. Decker.

Mr. Decker, a former science teacher, was appointed facilitator of the subcommittee.

"Assuming that this study goes forward, the teachers and students will study the wind data from an instructional standpoint," Mr. Decker said. "The students will also be able to investigate the feasibility of a turbine and get their input in as well."

As part of the study, the district will examine problems that could go along with a turbine, including noise, ice throw and flicker, an effect that occurs when the spinning turbine blades cast shadows or are reflected off a nearby surface, Mr. Koch said.

And because of the proximity of some of the Indian River campuses to the Fort Drum airfield, the district will need approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense confirming the turbine will not interfere with low-flying aircraft, Mr. Koch said.

The subcommittee doesn't anticipate that the turbine would be taller than the goal posts on a football field, Mr. Koch said. But they will need to do the study to determine if a turbine that size would produce enough energy to make it worth it for the district to go ahead with the project.

The district hasn't encountered any opposition from the towns of Theresa or LeRay so far, but they do anticipate some opposition to a turbine from community members if the project goes forward, Mr. Koch said.

Board member Linda M. Capone voiced concern about spending thousands of dollars on a study if there was going to be opposition from people in the town that could stop the project. Mrs. Capone suggested that the district should hold a public hearing before starting the study at Thursday's meeting.

But without a study, the district knows only as much as the public and might not be able to give them the answers they need, Mr. Koch said. If the board approves the study, they plan to go ahead with the study and then present the findings at a public hearing.

If the board approves the study and the district finds a good place for a turbine, construction on the project could begin within a year or two, board member and subcommittee member Peter D. Shue said.