Company to Specialize in Repairing Wind Turbine Gears

With the wind industry expanding across the country so will the need to repair gearboxes inside turbines.

A new company in Mukwonago, Gearbox Express has been formed to specialize in wind turbine gearbox replacement.

Currently the company is retrofitting a 43,000 square foot warehouse and expects to be operational by next year. The company has raised $1.8 million from investors and has been aided with a $1.8 million Small Business Administration loan along with a $3.4 million loan from the state of Wisconsin.

It is expected that Gearbox Express will create 100 jobs for the city of Mukwonago in a three year period.

Bruce Neumiller, the company's CEO said, "The firm will try to crave out a niche by having gearboxes ready to exchange and install at the same time the old gearbox is removed. That should result in cost savings for wind farm operator, who would need to bring in a crane only once rather than twice."

GE Healthcare Waiting for Turbine Approval

GE Healthcare is awaiting for approval from the city of Waukesha. GE hopes to install 10 wind turbines up to 155 feet tall on the company's campus on county highway T north of I-94. If the project is approved it would be built next year or later said Annette Busteri, public relations manager. The installation of the turbines is part of GE's 2015 goal of reducing electrical usage by 15 percent and improving energy efficiency by 10 percent.

Jennifer Andrews a Waukesha city planner said, 'The company seems to have all their ducks lined up in a row," while referring to GE's letters indicating that state and federal agencies have no objections.

Concerns arose when GE originally proposed the installation of the turbines given their proximity to the runway's of Waukesha County's airport. These concerns were put aside after the Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics provided a letter stating that all 10 of the proposed turbines would be in compliance with airspace height restrictions.

Currently there are no commercial wind turbines in Waukesha County and the project would be a first of its kind. The location of the project will be near highly traveled roads and give it great visibility to highlight GE's renewable energy commitment.

Milwaukee Considering Lakefront Wind Turbines

The city of Milwaukee has seen a lot of development along its lakefront in the past couple of years with such projects as the Milwaukee Art Museum renovation and the building of Discovery World on Pier Wisconsin. Currently the city is seeing another high-profile project that could add more landmarks to the lakefront.

Milwaukee officials are considering installing one to three wind turbines near the Lake Express car ferry terminal or by the Port offices in Milwaukee's, Bay View neighborhood. City officials are considering if Milwaukee should follow in other Great Lake cities footsteps such as Toronto and Cleveland and erect wind turbines in an urban setting.

"If the project is approved," said Erick Shambarger, a city environmental sustainability manager, "the project would be funded by the federal economic stimulus package."

"No property tax dollars would be involved," Shambarger stated, "The purpose is to power the Port administration building with renewable energy."

Milwaukee is allocating most of its block grant money towards programs that aim to boost energy efficiency and conservation efforts. Shambarger hopes that if the erection of wind turbines on the lakefront is approved that the project will "show the city's commitment to renewable power."

City officials are considering two different types of turbines for the project. One turbine would be 115 feet tall while the other would be 156 feet tall.

No final decision has been made yet to go through with the project. On Thursday the city will be holding a meeting to offer residents a chance to express their opinions on the project. "We really want to get public input," said Shambarger.

The cost of the project is still unknown and would depend on the types of turbines that would be selected. The larger of the turbines is estimated to cost around $550,000 but the actual price could be reduced by incentives offered from the Focus on Energy Program and the Milwaukee utility We Energies.

We Energies spokesman, Brian Manthey said, "the utility provides incentives of $10,000 to $100,000 for renewable energy projects installed by nonprofit organizations and governments. Funding is awarded after Focus on Energy agrees to provide an incentive for the project."

If interested in attending the informational meeting regarding the turbines it will be held Thursday, January 13th, at 6 p.m. at the South Shore Park Pavilion in Bay View.