Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Giants rising: Towers going up in Cohocton by BOB CLARK

COHOCTON - Despite snow, rain and mud, wind turbine towers are starting to go up on top of Dutch Hill.

So far, contractors Mortenson Construction has only started assembling sections of one tower, but more are going up shortly, according to UPC Wind Public Outreach Coordinator Rick Towner.

“Three of the four main sections are up,” Towner said.

The tower sections on the site started going up Nov. 19. Site 2A is on top of Dutch Hill near the intersection of Dutch Hill Road and Fleishman Road.

Additional tower parts and rotor blades are being delivered daily to the sites, according to Towner, and most of the parts on-site already are at the 15 turbine sites on Dutch Hill. The parts have been stored off-site for months, with many turbine blades and tower sections sitting behind the 4M Complex in Dansville.

Most of the large concrete pads the 51 turbines will be anchored to have been poured, and some of the pads are ready for tower construction, according to Towner.

“I heard last week they will be done in three weeks,” he said.

The pads are 57-feet across and up to 15-feet thick in the center, according to Towner. Only a part of the pad, 16-feet across and two-feet high, will be above ground when topsoil is replaced.

Work on the sites began Sept. 18. Despite progress on the project and limited delays since the project began, there is no firm date for the completion of the work.

“Everybody asks that question,” Towner said, “and I have no date.”

The unpredictability of weather slows down construction, Towner said, adding high winds make it impossible to install rotors and upper tower sections.

“The plan is to continue all through winter,” Towner said.