Thankfully, the town of Charlemont has approved the construction of a 900kw wind turbine that will generate 100% of Berkshire Easts' electrical need. Construction will begin as soon as the ground thaws in the springtime, with a probable summertime commisioning. This turbine will be privately financed with help from the state and federal government.

Many thanks go out to the residents of Charlemont and surrounding towns, who came to the meeting indroves and overwhelmingly supported us during the permitting process. Just about all of you spoke out in favor of the turbine and we recognize your words as critical in having this project move forward. 

The tower itself will be approximately 330' tall and will be the first wind turbine in this part of the Berkshire's. What a giant step forward for this big-little mountain that could! We will be very proud to have this model of the modern economy pushing out all the electrons we need sitting about 1000 feet from the top of the triple. 

With a machine this large, Berkshire East recognizes the turbines impact on the view shed of the scenic Deerfield River Valley and the diverse community of hill towns. However, instead of considering this structure to be an eyesore, we consider this project to be a beacon of hope to the thousands of people who drive and patronize the valley on a daily basis for a collective future where can all breath cleaner air and utilize cleaner energy. 

Some of you will ask, "Why hasn't Berkshire East started other "environmentally friendly projects? The answer is we have, and have picked many low hanging fruit in order to reduce costs and to run a cleaner, more efficient business. My father, Roy Schaefer has learned that there are many $5 and $10 bills laying around if, we, as a business improve efficiencies.

The ways we have done this are summed below.

1) Lighting: B-East keeps its lights on 24 hours a day when there are men worknig on the hill. To mitigate this cost, we have reduced our electrical use by 75% by switching to smaller, more efficient bulbs that produce the same lumens.

2) Snow Cats: We use larger, more efficient Prinoth Br-350 Snowcats that use less than half the fuel of smaller Snowcats, reducing our fuel consumption by half. 

3) Recycling: All paper products and packaging are recycled. As are many bottles and cans.

4) Heating: We heat our lodges with E-Class wood boilers with wood we cut from the mountain. We burn about 20 cords of wood per year. 

5) Fri-a-lator grease: Those fries are good for something. One of our snowboard school employees burns all the grease in her vehicle. 

6)Snowmaking: Our snow guns are fan guns which are the most efficient, modern guns available. We exceed the industry standard with their modernity and quality. 

With these six points in mind. The Berkshire East Wind Turbine is still a necessity. Outside wages, electricity is our largest cost and this turbine will allow us to operate with guranteed energy prices for the next 20 years. An invaluable tool in our commitment to making Berkshire East, the best mountain in Southern New England. 

 So in summation, are excited about this new chapter for the ski area. Stay in tuned to the projects portion of the site for updates on the turbine and other items. Have a great day and see you soon. 

Jon S.