The Berkshire Wind Power Project is a 12-turbine, 19.6–megawatt wind farm atop Brodie Mountain in Hancock, Massachusetts. The project, which started commercial operation on May 28, 2011, is owned and operated by the Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative, a non-profit entity that consists of 16 Massachusetts municipal utilities and their joint action agency, MMWEC. Berkshire Wind is a unique public power initiative that embodies the energy, environmental, and economic benefits of renewable energy development.
The Berkshire Wind Power Project is the second largest operating wind farm in Massachusetts, capable of producing enough electricity to power 7,800 homes while offsetting the production of nearly 800,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide and the use of 1.45 million barrels of oil. Wind speeds average about 18.3 mph atop Brodie Mountain, one of the best inland wind sites in the state.
The Berkshire Wind Power Project was constructed in two phases. Phase I began commercial operation in May 2011 and Phase II began commercial operation in November 2019.
Berkshire Wind Phase I consists of 10, 1.5 megawatt turbines that came online in May 2011.
Project Participants of Berkshire Wind Phase I include MMWEC and the municipal utilities in Ashburnham, Boylston, Groton, Holden, Hull, Ipswich, Marblehead, Paxton, Peabody, Shrewsbury, Sterling, Templeton, Wakefield, and West Boylston.
Location | Hancock, Massachusetts |
Online Date | May 2011 |
Turbines | 10 |
Turbine Height | 262 feet to the turbine hub and 390 feet to the tip of the blade |
Total Capacity | 15 megawatts |
Berkshire Wind Phase II consists of two, 2.3 megawatt turbines that came online in November 2019. The Phase II turbines feature longer blades and improvements in blade technology that allow the new turbines to begin operating and generating power at lower wind speeds. As a result, they can generate more output per turbine.
Project Participants of Berkshire Wind Phase II include MMWEC and the municipal utilities in Boylston, Chicopee, Hull, Ipswich, Marblehead, Peabody, Russell, Sterling, Wakefield, and West Boylston.
Location | Hancock, Massachusetts |
Online Date | November 2019 |
Turbines | 2 |
Turbine Height | 262 feet to the turbine hub and 456 feet to the tip of the blade |
Total Capacity | 4.6 megawatts |