Sustainable Energy Developments helps make history – The first wind turbine at a mountain ski resort begins producing power

At 1:40 p.m. this afternoon, the blades of a GE 1.5 MW wind turbine caught the Berkshire breeze and began generating electricity to directly satisfy Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort’s electrical demands. As the first kilowatts seamlessly flowed through the resort’s facilities, the resort became the first business of its kind in North America to produce its own electricity from a wind turbine. Sitting high atop the mountain resort, the wind turbine is a dramatic testament to the viability of renewable wind energy as an on-site power resource.

Sustainable Energy Developments Inc. (SED), based in Ontario, NY, acted as the project manger for the project - from the initial feasibility study to construction management during the installation. “SED is proud to be the driving force behind this pioneering project,” said Kevin Schulte, Co-Founder and Vice President of Consulting for SED. “This type of on-site wind project demonstrates the changing attitudes of private enterprise to take risks on projects that provide environmental benefits in addition to significant economic returns. We think this project will inspire the ski industry and businesses in general to undertake similar projects where benefits are measured both on the bottom line as well as by a project’s ability to help preserve the earth for future generations.”

The 1.5 MW wind turbine will produce an average of 5,000 kWh per day in August and up to 20,000 kWh per day in the windier fall and winter months. The wind turbine is expected to reduce the resorts enormous electricity costs by more than 50% each year. The installation of a wind turbine at Jiminy Peak makes it the first ski resort and the first private business in North America to use a megawatt class wind turbine to directly reduce its electricity costs.

An official dedication ceremony will take place at the wind turbine site on August 15, 2007. For detailed information about the project and photos of the installation process, visit http://green.jiminypeak.com.


Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc. (SED) is an Ontario, NY based company currently developing wind projects with municipalities, businesses, schools, farms and homeowners, that also provides wind resource assessment services to the utility scale wind industry. Working on projects from 10kW to several megawatts, SED assists clients with wind resource assessments, feasibility studies, siting, financing, state funding opportunities, interconnection agreements, construction and long-term maintenance of wind turbines. For more information:

Contact:
Kevin Schulte, VP Consulting