New Bedford Makes it to Final Round in National Wind Test Blade Facility Site Selection

Patrick Offers Update on New Bedford sweep
State in Final Round for U.S. Turbine Testing Facility
Massachusetts and Texas are battling for a federally backed wind blade test facility, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles said he learned today.
The two states were among six who applied to Washington, D.C., but Bush administration Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman said in a meeting with Gov. Deval Patrick this morning that the choices had been winnowed, Bowles told legislators this afternoon adding that the facility offered “a chance for us to position ourselves as a leader in renewable energy.”
New Bedford is one of the Massachusetts sites considered for the test facility.
Mayor Scott Lang said, “This is very good news for the city. It moves us closer being selected for the wind test blade facility and one step forward in building our economy around jobs in emerging sectors like the alternative energy industry.”
Boston is the other Massachusetts site being considered.
For background on this story, see our January newsletter:  at City Builds Toward Alternative Energy Sector for Job Creation