Green Mountain Power & Northern Power Systems Partner to Expand Community Wind Installations in the Green Mountain State
COLCHESTER, VT–(Marketwire – June 15, 2011) –
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Green Mountain Power
As part of its celebration of Global Wind Day, Green Mountain Power today announced it is strengthening its commitment to sustainable wind energy in Vermont by offering to install and operate a Northern Power®100 (NPS 100) wind turbine from Northern Power Systems at a customer site. Businesses, schools, farms, municipalities and community energy committees in GMP’s service territory are encouraged to apply to become a host site for this Vermont-made, 100 kW permanent magnet direct drive community wind turbine.
“This local power project is an important development in achieving our energy vision we launched three years ago to help our customers achieve a low carbon, low cost and incredibly reliable energy future. This local power project will encourage Vermonters to participate in their energy future which, research has shown, leads to more efficient use of energy,” said Mary Powell, president and CEO of Green Mountain Power. “From community scale wind turbines to individual and community solar installations to town wide efficiency measures, GMP is committed to working with its customers to assist them in creating a more energy independent future.”
Green Mountain Power will own, operate and maintain the NPS 100 at no cost to the selected customer. The turbine is expected to generate enough clean, renewable wind energy on-site to power about 20 – 25 average Vermont homes. The project will be group net metered with the host site receiving 10% of the energy generated from the NPS 100, and the rest used by Green Mountain Power. Additionally, Northern Power Systems will provide web-based monitoring of the turbine allowing the host and others in the community to view in real time the renewable power and environmental benefits generated by the NPS 100.
The NPS 100 fits perfectly in a community setting. With a height of just 121 feet it is about the same height as a church steeple or a water tower, and it requires no new transmission lines to connect to the grid. To qualify as a potential host, a site needs only to have a good wind resource, proximity to distribution voltage 3 phase power lines, and a parcel size sufficient for permitting. For more information and to apply, visit www.greenmountainpower.com.
Green Mountain Power has long history with wind power, beginning with test turbines on Mt. Equinox in the 1980s. GMP’s six-megawatt wind plant in Searsburg was the largest wind plant east of the Mississippi when it was built in 1997. Now Green Mountain Power is moving forward to build Vermont’s largest wind facility in Lowell, after receiving a certificate of public good in May. Bringing wind to the communities it serves is GMP’s next step in ensuring Vermonters have access to locally-produced, cost effective renewable power.
About Green Mountain Power
Green Mountain Power (www.greenmountainpower.com) generates, transmits, distributes and sells electricity in the State of Vermont. It serves more than 175,000 people and businesses.
About Northern Power Systems
For over 30 years, Northern Power Systems has been working toward electrifying the world with clean, renewable wind energy one wind turbine at a time. The company’s next generation wind turbine technology is based on a vastly simplified architecture that utilizes a unique combination of a permanent magnet generator and direct-drive design. This revolutionary approach delivers higher energy capture, eliminates drive-train noise, and significantly reduces maintenance and downtime costs. Northern Power Systems is a fully integrated company that designs, manufactures, and sells wind turbines into the global marketplace from its headquarters in Vermont, USA, with additional offices in Massachusetts and Michigan, USA, and Zurich, Switzerland. For more information, please visit www.northernpower.com/community-wind
About Global Wind Day – June 15
Global Wind Day is a worldwide event that occurs annually on 15 June. It is a day for discovering wind, its power and the possibilities it holds to change our world. It is also a day for discovery of the work that has already begun by pioneers around the world. In more than 75 countries around the world, wind farms are in operation, generating energy from a clean and renewable source. Thousands of individuals are involved in the production of energy from the wind, but for many people, wind energy is a mystery. Global Wind Day is the day when you can visit wind farms, meet experts, attend events and find out everything you want to know about wind energy. Learn more online at www.globalwindday.org
In the Green Mountain State, Governor Peter Shumlin has issued a proclamation recognizing June 15, 2011 as Global Wind Day in Vermont as a way to educate the public and reach local policymakers about the benefits of Vermont grown wind energy. Additionally, members of Renewable Energy Vermont are highlighting the environmental & economic benefits that wind energy provides for all Vermonters through an ongoing social media campaign entitled, Wind Works in Vermont. Learn more online at www.facebook.com/WindWorksVermont
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