HANCOCK, Massachusetts — If you spent $3.9 million on a new 378-ft. wind turbine, the first-ever for a North American ski area, you’d want to name it something else besides a boring model number: 1.5sle. You’d want something catchy perhaps. Easy to remember. Perhaps a bit awe-inspiring. In a month-long contest, that’s the challenge that Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort issued to the public. Approximately 540 entries were received, and then a distinguished panel of educators, business leaders and marketers selected Zephyr as the name for Jiminy’s new investment in wind power.<\/p>\n
The winning name was announced by Jiminy’s president and CEO Brian Fairbank on June 13 at the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce Good News Business Salute breakfast in Pittsfield, Mass.<\/p>\n
“Not only is Zephyr the Greek god of the west wind, but it is also a name in history that has been symbolic with ‘great engineering’ USS Zephyr, the Pioneer Zephyr was a diesel-powered railroad train set, and Ford, Mercury and Lincoln all had cars with the name Zephyr.” said Fairbank. “With over 500 entries, it’s obvious we’ve inspired people to think about how renewable energy can help kick our dependency on foreign oil and help the planet breath easier.”<\/p>\n
The winning name was suggested by PJ Gnaidek of Pittsfield. PJ will receive VIP treatment during the public wind turbine dedication on “Windsday,” Aug. 15, 2007, and a 2007-08 season ski\/snowboard pass to the resort.<\/p>\n
Wind Turbine Blades Arrive June 28<\/strong><\/p>\n Starting the morning of Thursday, June 28, three 122-ft. turbine blades will arrive from the Port of Albany to the intersection of routes 90 and 20 (exit 11E) in Schodack, N.Y. From there, in a carefully-choreographed motorcade of flashing lights and police escorts, it will travel east on route 20 through Nassau, West Lebanon and New Lebanon, N.Y., then to route 22 North to Stephentown, N.Y., where it will take a right onto 43 East and proceed to Hancock, Mass., and the resort.<\/p>\n A schedule of tower parts delivery will be posted to www.jiminypeak.com<\/a> for the public to watch as it goes by. The blades are as long as a 12-story building is high and GE’s patented adjusting blade technology enables them to catch every breath of air in order to maximize the output of electricity.<\/p>\n Once in place, Jiminy’s wind turbine will generate 1.5 megawatts of energy – about 33 percent of the total electricity consumption of the resort or enough to light up the TVs, DVDs, microwaves and refrigerators in 613 homes for a year.<\/p>\n For more information on Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, log onto www.jiminypeak.com<\/a>.
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