Cleanup has begun at turbine collapse site

FENNER — It’s been more than a month since a nearly 187-ton wind turbine crashed on Fenner Wind Farm in rural Madison County, but what toppled the structure still remains a mystery, company officials said Tuesday.

This week, a team from wind farm operator Enel North America began removing sections of the fallen turbine from the site. Once the wreckage is removed, the team will be able to get a better look at the hole left in the foundation where the stem of the turbine separated from its base, company spokesman Hank Sennott said.

“It’s the one thing no one’s been able to get close to,” Sennott said. “We’ve got to look at everything before we come to any conclusions.”

The turbine that crashed at about 4 a.m. on Dec. 27 was one of 20 on the wind farm located northeast of Cazenovia. The wind farm has been in operation since 2001 and supplies enough electricity to serve at least 10,000 homes.

Despite predictions from Enel North America that the cause of the crash could be determined by the end of January 2010, Sennott said it’s now unknown when a report will be complete.

The other 19 turbines remain temporarily shut down as a safety precaution, Sennott said.

“Until we’re convinced we know what happened, we will leave them off,” Sennott said. “We want to get this right.”