SCITUATE The wind turbine on Driftway will shut down for seven hours nightly from May 15 to Oct. 14.
The turbine sits just 650 feet from the nearest home and has been a source of complaints from neighbors since it started operating in March 2012.
The Scituate Select Board voted to pause the turbine during its meeting Tuesday night. The only dissenting vote was Tony Vegnani.
Board member Andrew Goodrich said he met with the turbine owner, Scituate Wind, along with Vegnani, and the company provided estimated costs to the town if the turbine were to be halted during parts of the day.
Shutting down the turbine for seven hours at night for six months will bring a total estimated cost of $96,000, which includes the revenue the town will lose from the turbine, as well as any payments the town had to make to the turbine owner for it not operating.
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The Patriot Ledger
SCITUATE Scituate will ask the company that owns the wind turbine on Driftway if they can cut down on the amount of time it runs after eight years of complaints from residents living hundreds of feet from the 262-foot tall turbine.
After a two-hour meeting Tuesday night, members of the board of selectmen agreed they should ask Scituate Wind LLC to calculate the costs to the town of shutting down the turbine when the wind blows from the west and for up to eight hours every night.
While select board members disagreed on issues over speed and timing, they all agreed the turbine needs to be stopped from running when it casts a shadow over nearby residences, causing a flicker effect.