ALTONA, N.Y. — State regulators say a wind energy company is operating safely in New York and they have closed their investigation of a turbine tower collapse in northern New York. The state Public Service Commission probe began after two of the 65 turbines at the Noble Environmental Power facility in Altona (al-TOH’-nuh) were damaged when power was lost during...
ALTONA, N.Y. — State regulators say a wind energy company is operating safely in New York and they have closed their investigation of a turbine tower collapse in northern New York.
The state Public Service Commission probe began after two of the 65 turbines at the Noble Environmental Power facility in Altona (al-TOH’-nuh) were damaged when power was lost during electrical work in March 2009. A blade on one was damaged. The other fell when its blades spun out of control at three times the rated speed.
PSC investigators found wiring faults that prevented controls in those turbines from automatically “feathering” the blades so they wouldn’t catch the wind and spin down safely.
The commission says Thursday that General Electric Co., which manufactured the turbines, has taken steps to prevent such failures and Essex, Conn.-based Noble properly inspects and maintains its New York operations.