State approves permit for wind turbine project in Barre

BARRE – The State Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) has issued a siting permit for Heritage Wind to build 33 turbines in the Town of Barre that will have the capacity to generate 184.8 megawatts of electricity.

Houtan Moaveni, ORES executive director, issued the decision on Jan. 13.

The project will contribute approximately $54 million in host community benefits and payments in lieu of taxes to the Town of Barre, Orleans County, and local schools over the course of 25 years.

The turbines would have a maximum blade tip height of 675 feet, making them the largest land-based turbines in the state. Each turbine will be able to produce 5.6 megawatts of power.

The project also includes 12 miles of access roads, two permanent meteorological towers, approximately 36 miles of collection lines from the wind turbines to the collection substation, a temporary construction laydown yard of approximately 13 acres, an operations and maintenance facility consisting of two buildings totaling approximately 4,000 square feet, and other components.

Moaveni, the ORES director, said six turbines within 2 miles of Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area will be subject to greater scrutiny for avian impacts.

He cited the benefits of the project in providing $54 million to the local communities over 25 years and also contributing the state’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and no less than 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. The Barre project will offset up to 112,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year.