Sterling Municipal Light Department's

Berkshire Wind Project

The SMLD is part owner of the Berkshire Wind Project, which consists of 10, 1.5-megawatt wind turbines erected off of Brodie Mountain Road in Hancock, Massachusetts. The turbines began generation of power on May 28, 2011 and are "capable of producing enough electricity to power 6,000 homes while offsetting the production of nearly 612,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide and the use of 1.7 million barrels of oil" ^{(per fact sheet)}.  For more facts and information, please visit http://www.berkshirewindcoop.org

Project Facts

• Location: Ridge line of Brodie Mountain in Hancock, MA at an elevation of 2,500 feet

• Number of Turbines: 10

• Type of Turbines: GE 1.5 MW Turbines

• Turbine Height: 262 feet to the turbine hub and 386 feet to the tip of the blade

• Capacity: Total of 15 MW, enough to serve roughly 6,000 homes annually

• Capacity Factor: Turbines in operation roughly 40% of the time due to required wind speed

• Estimated Capital Investment in the Berkshires for the Project: $65 million