UMPI Weighs Options, Including Solar, To Replace Turbine

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine - The University of Maine at Presque Isle is committed to green energy but not necessarily to replacing its wind turbine that caught fire a year ago.Ben Shaw, chief business officer, said the campus is considering solar or other renewable energy projects in addition to turbine replacement. The 600-kilowatt wind turbine caught fire last April. No one was hurt but the housing for the turbine's generator and other key mechanical components was destroyed. The turbine was installed in 2009 at a cost of $2 million and generated 4.7 million kilowatt hours of electricity, enough to power 476 homes.