The Shoals Marine Lab (SML) on Appledore Island has an exciting pilot wind project you will see from Star Island this summer. The Marine Lab is constructing a single 80-foot high wind tower on Appledore this spring. This will provide the off-season energy needed to support one of the UNH research projects that has been on Appledore for the last several years. Right now that program gets its power from Appledore generators which not only cost more to run but also add fuel emissions to the atmosphere.

SML has achieved endorsement letters from the bird banding projects and other environmental groups on the island. It has also achieved permission from the NH Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and, the town of Kittery, Maine for construction. As we search for green energy sources, all involved groups see the tower as part of their research on wind tower impacts on various parts of the environment, so this experiment could help the cause of safe wind generation on a number of levels.

As you may be aware, Star Island Corporation owns Appledore Island and leases it to the Shoals Marine Lab. In June of 2006 the Star Island Corporation board granted SML permission to construct the tower in support of the potential long-term environmental benefits this pilot project could bring to the Isles of Shoals. One great feature of this wind tower is that it lowers to the ground on a pivot point, so the ability exists to raise the tower in the off-season and lower it for the summer season (see film clip below). The board granted SML permission to keep the tower up for the entirety of 2007 including the summer season. Over the summer we hope you’ll share your thoughts on visual and auditory impact. We expect and hope the tower will be moderate in its impact and will continue use throughout the years, and also recognize that if there are significant negative impacts to those at Star, we have the ability to ask SML to keep the tower lowered during the summer season in the future.

Note: nothing really happens for the first 30 seconds of the video. Hang in there.