Friday, February 18, 2022, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com
The weather isn't the only bad luck Berkshire East is facing this week, as a 91-foot blade on its mountain top wind turbine snapped yesterday. Trails adjacent to the turbine were closed due to safety concerns.
In a Facebook message posted on Thursday, president Jon Schaefer stated, "This morning the guys heard a crack, looked up on the mountain, saw the wind turbine blade was broken, and it certainly is broken."
Schaefer added, "This is a real tough one for me. I've seen and experienced a lot. I haven't experienced this."
The $2.9 million 900 kW wind turbine was installed during the winter of 2010-2011 to offset Berkshire East's energy costs. The Western Massachusetts ski area added a mountain top solar array to its renewable energy portfolio in 2012.
Schaefer concluded, "We will pick up the pieces and move on as we do, and always work to be better."
