At the July 2nd City Council meeting, Mary Geddry from Coquille presented information on a proposed rooftop wind turbine electric generators, which she felt would be appropriate for providing distributed electric power (power created at the point of consumption) throughout Bandon. She also proposed utilizing the Coquille River Lighthouse as a test site for this recently patented generator, to help determine how well it would hold up in the severe marine climate. Since no electric distribution lines are available to that site, the City is investigating the feasibility of installing solar and wind power, with a propane backup system.
Ms. Geddry had previously made her presentation to the Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI), and the information had been forwarded to Roger Straus, Jim Giamborne, and the City’s Electric Department staff and consulting electrical engineer who are working on the Lighthouse power project. (Roger is heading the Lighthouse restoration project, Jim is the City’s citizen representative on alternative power issues.) The Planning Department is also studying the whole matter of wind turbines, to determine whether these installations would be allowed under the height regulations of the zoning ordinance, and, if not, what changes would be necessary to allow and/or regulate them.
Mr. Straus, Mr. Giambrone, and City staff expressed reservations regarding utilizing the Lighthouse project as a test site. Since the wind and solar units would be the primary source of power, with propane as a backup, it was felt that a more proven technology should be employed. Also, since the City did not have any electric lines on that side of the Coquille River, there would be no way to test the feasibility of tying the wind generators into the City’s power grid. View protection is also a major concern, but any installations at the Lighthouse will not be done on the Lighthouse itself, but would be located separately, and screened as much as possible, with the electricity transmitted to the building via underground wires. Noise is also a consideration in selecting a site, since some wind turbines can be very loud. Even though the proposed new type of wind turbines are reportedly quiet, the noise level could not really be determined until further testing in the marine environment can be undertaken. The matter of bird flight paths was also discussed, although the proposed units can apparently be screened to protect birds.
The City Council, City staff, and those present at the meeting, expressed their strong support for the concept of alternative energy, and for the idea of testing the proposed new technology in Bandon. One possible site that was suggested would be the restrooms at the South Jetty Park, since this is subject to the marine climate, and could also be tied into the City’s electric power grid. However, since the proposed wind turbine units are 17 ft. by 17 ft., plus the mounting base to allow them to turn into the direction of the wind, concerns were expressed regarding the impacts such a structure might have on views and noise levels from adjacent residential, business, and recreational properties.
