With oil prices sky high and the world more concerned than ever regarding state of the environment, the city of Boston is looking to do its part in helping to break the trend.
City officials are looking to enact legislation that would permit private developers to build wind turbines in certain sections of the city. Three different sets of regulations are being composed, each addressing a varying type of wind turbine proposal. One will relate to larger facilities generating 100 kilowatts or more of power, another addresses stand alone turbines, and the final one will set regulations for turbines located on buildings.
Available for public viewing next week, the zoning regulations deal with turbine height, vibrations, and noise. They will also deal with safety codes, FAA regulations, and will require compliance with building and electrical codes.
While the entire process is complicated, perhaps the most problematic decision regarding the zoning is deciding where in the city to allow for the construction of these turbines:
We don’t have a lot of land and there are a multitude of obstructions, so we are most likely to see community-scale turbines and building-integrated rooftop turbines. -James Hunt, Boston Boston environment and energy chief
It is not currently illegal to construct wind turbines in Boston (there is one located along the Southeast Expressway in Dorchester), but the process to get the approvals is difficult at best. Officials hope that the new zoning and regulations will allow the process to become more streamlines, alleviating many of the headaches that come with trying to get a wind turbine approved in Boston.
Both city and state officials are hoping this new zoning variance will help push Massachusetts to the forefront of clean and reusable technology.
Source: Boston Herald
Image: Heliotropic
Sunday, 6 September 2009
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