Published: November 12, 2009 07:20 am      

Light & Power windmill grinds to halt

TRAVERSE CITY -- A publicly owned wind turbine along M-72 in Leelanau County's Elmwood Township is out of commission.

A generator bearing failed and the turbine ground to a halt, said Ed Rice, Traverse City Light & Power's executive director. The windmill has been broken for about six weeks. Repairs are expected to take up to three months to complete and will cost an estimated $15,000 to $20,000, he said.

Workers also will inspect the gear box to check for any other problems, Rice said.

Traverse City Light & Power erected the 180-foot-tall windmill 13 years ago and it generates just a fraction of energy used by public utility's customers.