Wind turbine will remain inactive

AMHERST - The wind turbine at the Cumberland RCMP detachment likely won't be spinning anytime soon.
Detachment head Staff Sgt. Frank Kingston said Thursday he is awaiting word from the company on what caused a fire in an electrical panel before he allows the turbine to be reactivated.
"We had a fire in one of our panels and subsequently it has been shut down," Kingston said. "I'm waiting for a report from the company as to the cause of the fire. Until I get the engineer's report, I don't want it operating."
The multi-million-dollar turbine installed as part of construction of the new detachment in 2005 went offline earlier this summer. It's the second time the 50-kilowatt, 24-metre tall turbine has gone on the fritz.
Last summer, the turbine's electrical components were damaged by what was believed to be a lightning strike during a fierce thunderstorm. When it was repaired last fall, improvements were also made to the turbine's braking system.
Kingston is unsure when the engineering report will be received.
"I'm a police officer, not an engineer, but I want to make sure it's working properly before we turn it back on," Kingston said.
The turbine, developed by Atlantic Orient in conjunction with Black and MacDonald. is expected to save the RCMP approximately $13,000 annually in energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 150 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

dcole@amherstdaily.com