Gusty move

A Stuarts Draft man is seeking a special use permit from Augusta County to put a 35-foot wind turbine on his property to generate electricity.

Richard Murphy, a Windy Hill Lane resident, said the system would be hooked into his power grid and could generate up to 400-kilowatt hours per month.

And Murphy has received approval for a state grant that would pay up to one-third of the cost for the installation of the wind turbine.

The grants are available through a pilot program offered by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals & Energy. The administrator of the program is James Madison University.

Murphy said he has multiple reasons for wanting to use the wind turbine.

“This is an investment in saving the environment,’’ he said. “Every kilowatt hour generated from the wind means I’m not using fossil fuel.”

As Murphy sees it, the wind turbine is a long-term investment in an alternate and renewable energy source.

Murphy has seen similar systems used in his native West Virginia and in California, at Palm Springs.

The Augusta County Board of Zoning Appeals will consider Murphy’s request for a special use permit when it holds a public hearing Oct. 5.

If the Board of Zoning Appeals approves his request, Murphy said the equipment used for the wind turbine would also be inspected and approved by Dominion Virginia Power.

Both John Wilkinson, Augusta County’s zoning administrator, and Murphy say neighbors do not oppose the wind turbine.

Wilkinson said he is awaiting a report from his staff about the proposal.

The report Wilkinson gets will include a recommendation for or against the project when the Board of Zoning Appeals meets Oct. 5.

Contact Bob Stuart at .