National Grid’s ready, we’re ready. it’s just scheduling and paperwork between the two of us.”

Mark DePasquale, owner of Wind Energy Development

PORTSMOUTH — No, there’s nothing wrong with the new wind turbine at Portsmouth High School, according to the owner of the company that recently erected the machine.

The turbine, which went up two weeks ago, isn’t running yet because there’s still testing and paperwork to be completed with National Grid, according to Mark DePasquale, owner of Wind Energy Development (WED).

Mr. DePasquale told the Town Council Monday night that the turbine should be spinning within “two to three weeks.”

“By the end of this week, we’re scheduled to test with National Grid,” he said.

After the meeting, Mr. DePasquale explained the process in greater detail 

“It’s called witness testing,” he said. “We have a crew out there now doing high-voltage maintenance that’s testing all the transformers and testing the switches to make sure it passes the witness test by National Grid.”

After that, National Grid comes out to test the turbine, which is scheduled for the end of this week. “They put power into the turbine and then they cut the power to shut it off for five minutes. When that testing’s done, then there’s paperwork that goes back and forth and they sign on, they put a meter on it, then the turbine will run,” he said.

Mr. DePasquale added, “National Grid’s ready, we’re ready. it’s just scheduling and paperwork between the two of us.”

Voters approved building the original turbine with a $3 million bond issue in 2007. The windmill was built in 2009 but has been idle since 2012 due to a broken gearbox supplied by a company that has since gone bankrupt.

The town later entered into a contract with WED to allow the town to pay off the remaining debt that’s left on the turbine. WED paid a lump sum of $1.45 million to the town. In exchange, the town is purchasing energy generated from the new 1.5-megawatt turbine over a 25-year period at a rate of 15.5 cents per kilowatt hour.

Excess going to Coventry

On Monday night, the council approved several documents submitted by WED, including a sublease in which the Town of Coventry would purchase any excess energy produced by the turbine.

“(Portsmouth) is only going to consume a portion. This gives (Coventry) the right to have enough interest in the property that they qualify for net metering,” said Stephen Brusini, attorney for WED, adding that all metered energy needs to be accounted for by National Grid. 

Coventry has no other interest in the property, Mr. Brusini emphasized.

Donation to Brown House

In a related matter, Town Administrator Richard Rainer announced that a $67,500 credit WED received from the town has been donated to the Leonard Brown House renovation project at Glen Farm.

WED received the incentive payment from the town for completing a portion of the project early, and the company agreed to return the money to be used for a public project. The town proposed several different options and WED chose the Brown House project, Mr. Rainer said.

Council members thanked WED for the donation, which will be used toward the town’s plan to revitalize the dormant historic farmhouse on Linden Lane. The building would serve as headquarters for the town’s Recreation Department and also provide office space for local organizations and be rented out to groups using the special events fields, town officials have said.