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At work in the clouds

TIM KELLY PHOTO

When Russell McCall turns on the power to the chillers at his soon-to-open Cutchogue winery, and when he recharges his new electric tractors, the energy will come from the 120-foot wind turbine installed Tuesday at the edge of the Main Road vineyard by Greenlogic Energy of Southampton. The three-bladed turbine has a 22-foot radius and will produce 12,500 kilowatt hours of electricity a year, enough to power a 3,000-square-foot house, said John Rocchetta, Greenlogic’s regional director. With installation and power line trenching, it’s a $100,000 project. A Long Island Power Authority grant funds 50 percent and, with various tax credits and rebates, Mr. McCall’s final cost will be about $30,000. In addition, he will be credited for any power his system feeds back into the LIPA grid. The turbine was expected to be fully operational in a matter of days.
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