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Wind, horsepower meet
Friday, March 13, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by GRETCHEN PHILLIPS
King, a draft horse from Clements, rests after helping to hoist a 33-foot wind turbine into place Wednesday in Swan Point.
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The coal-burning plant at Morgantown is no longer the only towering power generator on Charles County's Potomac shore.
On Wednesday, Ken Robinson, president of the Swan Point Property Owners Association, and his wife, Sheryl Elliott, erected a 33-foot-tall windmill on a small peninsula at their home at the mouth of Cuckhold Creek.
The electricity-generating windmill is the first domestic model to be installed in Southern Maryland, and the couple marked the occasion with a small ceremony and more than 100 neighbors, guests and reporters in attendance.
Dozens of children from the Green Club of Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School waived sparkling pinwheels given to them by Robinson and Elliot as they played around the couple's private beach.
A portable sound system played wind-themed tunes such as "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas, "The Wind Cries Mary" by Jimi Hendrix and "Summer Breeze" by Seals & Crofts.
Robinson hired a draft horse, King, to raise the wind turbine; however, given the limited space on the peninsula, King's role was largely symbolic. At the appointed time just after noon, the turbine rose slowly under the watchful eye of technicians and the power of an electric winch anchored to a nearby pier.
As the windmill reached its apex, it wobbled slightly. The turbine swiveled to catch the stiff breeze, and the pole settled onto its base. After technicians secured the windmill with bolts, Robinson announced that student Mya Harding would throw the switch to start the turbine.
Harding "threw the switch" by symbolically slapping a bulge in the metal top of the electric switch box, and technicians released the clutch in the turbine. The six-foot blades began rapidly spinning as the crowd cheered.
From the perspective of the crowd, the windmill rose in front of the distant smokestacks of the Morgantown plant of which Robinson has long been a foe. Using his Web site, StopMirant.com, Robinson opposed the "wet scrubber" being built by Mirant to meet state requirements to reduce air pollution. The scrubber is expected to eject a plume of steam directly into the viewshed of several Swan Point residents.
The state approved the scrubber over Swan Point residents' objections, so Robinson and Elliott decided to seek their power elsewhere.
"We have a long interest in green energy," Elliott told the crowd. She recalled installing a solar hot water heater in her home three decades ago.
"I want to commend Ken and Sheryl for being model citizens," said Dr. Carlos Fernandez, owner of Potomac Wind Energy in Dickerson, which installed the windmill. Fernandez said that Robinson and Elliot would likely see their electric bill drop by half, even after the cost of installing the windmill.
Fernandez said that the state needs to make it easier for citizens to take their homes off the electric grid, adding, "We need to put a lot of green tape over the red tape.
According to manufacturer specifications, Robinson and Elliot's Skystream windmill is rated for 2.7 kilowatts. It can generate power in wind speeds ranging from 8 to 29 miles per hour. It can survive wind speeds of up to 140 mph.
According to Robinson, the windmill cost $23,000 to purchase and install. However, he received a $6,000 grant from the state and will receive a $6,000 tax credit from the federal government.
Robinson stressed that the cost would likely be lower for homeowners who put their windmills closer to their homes.
Ross Tyler, director of clean energy for the Maryland Energy Administration, was also on hand to praise the new windmill.
"It's basically a living example of Gov. O'Malley's ‘Smart, Green and Growing' [campaign]," Tyler said.
Today, the Stop Mirant Web site redirects visitors to a campaign site for Robinson's 2010 run for county commissioner. Robinson, running as a Democrat, plans to challenge Commissioner Samuel N. Graves Jr. (D) for the District 1 seat.
Graves confirmed Wednesday that Robinson invited him to the event, but Graves said he was already committed to other appointments. However, Graves said he was pleased to see Robinson taking action on green energy.
Robinson did not deliver any political speeches Wednesday. He didn't speak much at all, except to emcee the ceremony. During the windmill raising, his face was taut with excitement. Reflecting on the event on Thursday, Robinson said, "It was gratifying. It was exhilarating. It was awesome."
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