Calvin Ball, a member of the Howard County Council in Maryland (outside Baltimore), wants to make sure that residents are able to erect and operate small wind turbines on their property if they desire. To this end, he has proposed legislation in the council to specifically allow small turbines in residential areas of the county, as reported by WJZ-TV and the Baltimore Sun.
Currently, Howard County doesn’t specifically prohibit or allow wind turbines in residential areas. Two other counties in the region, Frederick and Carroll, allow them in all areas. But residents both in Baltimore City and Baltimore County have encountered opposition from officials when they tried to erect small wind turbines.
Ball’s proposal would allow both free-standing turbines as well as small turbines on pylons. Small turbines generally cost between $15,000 and $30,000, can pay for themselves in eight years and last up to 50 years. His bill must be reviewed first by the county planning board and then the Howard County Council.
As of now, there are only two wind turbines in the county. If adopted, Ball’s proposal could encourage the development of more wind energy in Howard County, and possibly surrounding jurisdictions as well.
A number of small wind turbines will be on display at The Solar and Wind Expo, taking place May 7-9 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.
make green a reality!
http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/
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