By Kathy Dickinson
October 19 was an historic day at Becket Town Hall, where Becket Energy Committee Chair Garth Klimchuk welcomed the public and special guests at the ribbon-cutting to celebrate the Becket Wind Project. After introducing and thanking his committee, Town Administrator Kathe Warden, and members of the Select Board, Klimchuk announced that this occasion marked the culmination of over three years of work on the part of the Becket Energy Committee (BEC) specifically to bring renewable energy in the form of a single community-scale 15kW wind turbine to power Town Hall.
Attending the event, State Senator Paul Mark pointed out that “volatility in the cost and supply of energy is a part of life now for everyone and won’t be going away anytime soon.” According to State Representative Leigh Davis “Becket is providing a model for the rest of the commonwealth.” Both agreed with Mark Rabinsky from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), who shared that “the Becket wind turbine serves as a great example of what small towns can do when we work together at the state and local levels.” Becket Select Board Chair William Elovirta reminisced about what energy resources looked like when he moved to Becket in 1946 before installation of electrical service: just a simple gas-powered generator. He joined the other speakers in congratulating Becket on this remarkable achievement.
The BEC has been working to improve energy efficiencies since 2013, but beginning in 2023 the committee began the work of identifying the best way to reduce municipal energy costs while progressing towards the Massachusetts state target of decreased dependence on fossil fuels by switching to renewables. Early in the process, it was determined that the Town Hall site had a unique advantage — its 1,506-foot elevation was ideal for harnessing energy from wind year-round. Throughout this period the BEC provided multiple information sessions and shared a wealth of supplemental resources on the town website to keep residents apprised of the process, the benefits, and the timeline to fruition. The anticipated life span of the equipment is fifty years. Additionally, not only will this 100-foot turbine provide enough service to power Town Hall, it will also supplement power to the Highway Garage.
The project was incentivized by state mandates to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and was funded by a series of grants, including $139,500 from the Massachusetts DOER Green Communities Competitive Grant, along with federal clean energy tax credits, with the goal of ultimately providing power at no cost to the town. In fact, Becket stands to save about $9,000 per year by switching to this municipal power source. Final Permission to Operate (PTO) has been issued, and the turbine should be operational by November 1. More-detailed information can be found on the town website by visiting the Energy Committee section and clicking on Becket Wind Project.
The relative cost of energy has been top-of-mind for everyone lately. Good to know that our Becket Energy Committee was ahead of the curve and can serve as a model for other small towns in our region.
