A wind turbine that saves a Massachusetts school roughly $35,000 a year has been out of service for more than a month after a storm damaged its controls, leaving the school waiting for repair crews to reach Nantucket.
Here's what to know
The Nantucket Current reported that a rare late-September nor'easter caused a power surge that damaged the turbine's control boards. The Ohio-based contractor that maintains Nantucket High School's turbine had not yet traveled to the island for repairs.
The 156-foot, 100-kilowatt turbine stands near the school's athletic fields. Since its installation in 2010, it has helped meet some of the school district's electricity needs. According to the town's Energy Office, the turbine supplies 12% to 15% of the school's annual electricity demand, the Nantucket Current reported.
More background
The turbine's acquisition and installation were paid for primarily through grant funding from the Schmidt Family Foundation, according to the Nantucket Current. The foundation, associated with seasonal Nantucket resident and philanthropist Wendy Schmidt, collaborated with Students for Sustainability and National Grid.
In 2011, the Northern Power Systems NW100 turbine was named for John D. "Jack" McFarland, the school's longtime facilities manager. He championed the project before his death in 2010.
Worsening extreme weather disasters can threaten lives and livelihoods. Damage to electrical infrastructure can put public health, community safety, and economic stability at risk.
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What's being done?
Staffing shortages at the maintenance contractor have delayed the Nantucket repair visit. The company deploys workers throughout the Northeast.
Chip Clunie, Nantucket High School's director of facilities and grounds, learned that the contractor's crews were heading south from Canada when he contacted the company to arrange service, the Nantucket Current reported. A representative told him the company was short-handed and dispatching its available workers.
Clunie hoped the contractor would arrive at the next anticipated opportunity after a previously planned visit failed to materialize. "As it is with a lot of our infrastructure, we are at the mercy of off-island maintenance crews," he said, per the Nantucket Current.
Where can I learn more?
Elsewhere in Massachusetts, schools and towns are pursuing energy upgrades while navigating costs, permitting, and other practical hurdles.
• A Massachusetts school debuted electric buses beneath a solar canopy, with projected savings of $2.33 million.
• Southwick, Mass., drafted a 12-month permit path for battery, solar, and wind projects.
• Massachusetts launched a $4.2 million funding push for offshore wind workers and marine research.
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