The Connecticut Siting Council officially approved Connecticut second commercial wind farm, joining a project greenlighted last week in Colebrook.
The council on Thursday afternoon voted 6-1 with two abstentions to approve three 1.6 megawatt turbines in Colbrook, over the objections of residents who felt the 492-foot turbines would be unsightly and unsafe. The approval was largely expected as the siting council voted along the same in an unofficial straw poll on June 2.
The project joins another thee-turbine development in Colbrook approved by the siting council on June 2. West Hartford renewable firm BNE Energy is developing both projects.
BNE proposed a third project in Prospect, but that was rejected by the siting council because the turbines would have destroyed the scenic view. The siting council has the sole authority to approve power generation projects in the state, ranging from nuclear to natural gas plants.
Before the 2011 Connecticut General Assembly legislative ended on Wednesday, the legislature approved a bill putting a moratorium on wind projects until wind-specific regulations can be written.
The legislation doesn’t apply to the Colebrook projects because its applications were in before the law was passed. Construction on the Colebrook turbines is scheduled tentatively for this summer.
