After a sorely disappointing eight-month trial period, the town of Kittery, Maine, is shutting down the 50-kilowatt wind turbine it installed at the Transfer Station last fall. Real-time data from the 124-foot turbine shows that it generated less than 15 percent of the electricity expected between October and May.

Entegrity Wind Systems, which manufactured the turbine, will refund the town the full $191,000 cost of the project. The Colorado-based company will then remove the turbine and its tower and ship it back out west.

In a recent press release, Kittery town manager Jon Carter blamed “ground clutter” such as trees and buildings for causing wind turbulence that contributed to the turbine’s underperformance. Although the town conducted months of wind testing aided by a grant from the Maine Public Utilities Commission, the project demonstrated that the 50-kilowatt turbine performs below expectations when installed in areas of significant wind turbulence, the release states.

The turbine was expected to produce between 70,000 and 80,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year—more than enough to power the town’s transfer station.

But Cameron Wake, a member of the Kittery Energy Advisory Committee, noted that the project came at no cost to taxpayers. “This is not really ‘bad news,’” Wake said in an email. “Yes—the performance of the wind turbine was disappointing. The good news here is that this demonstration project was a valuable learning experience that did not cost us any hard cash.”

Meanwhile, other wind projects are underway elsewhere in the state. The company First Wind is hoping to begin construction this year on a 40-turbine wind farm on Rollins Mountain in northern Maine. According to the company, the wind farm would generate 60 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 22,600 houses per year. But the project has run into resistance from opponents who fear the turbines would have a negative impact on wildlife.

In New Hampshire, wind energy and more will be the subjects of a one-day conference for local energy committees, municipalities and schools. In Concord on Saturday, June 20, Local Energy Solutions 2009 will aim to help New Hampshire communities reduce energy use, curb greenhouse gas emissions and save taxpayer dollars. The conference takes place at the Grappone Center from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visit www.carboncoalition.org/conference.

Carter said the wind turbine’s failure in Kittery will not deter the town from pursuing other renewable energy projects. “The Town of Kittery will continue to evaluate energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to reduce energy costs in the future,” he said in the press release.