Wind Turbine Underway

Thursday marked the fruition of a three-year-old dream for Brian Driscoll. In honor of the day, he put on his windmill pin and his special green tie, the one that’s decorated with tiny wind turbines.

Driscoll’s sartorial flourishes were one tiny part of a ceremony that marked the start of construction on a new 150-foot-tall wind turbine at Phoenix Press. Driscoll owns the James Street printing company with his brother Kevin.

At 11 a.m., dozens of Phoenix Press employees gathered in the muddy backyard of the company’s one-story building. The Driscoll brothers were joined by city officials and representatives of United Illuminating and the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund. All spoke about the great importance of the wind turbine project. Then they grabbed their ceremonial golden spades to pitch the first shovel of dirt.

The $500,000 turbine will offset about a third of Phoenix Press’ electricity bills. It’s expected to be fully installed and in use by the end of February.

The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund put up half of the money for the project. David Youngquist (at right in photo), associate director of the fund, said it is the organization’s first wind project to be realized. It will also be the largest wind turbine in Connecticut.

“With luck it won’t be the largest for too long,” Youngquist said.

Lynn Mathis, niece of Driscoll and general manager at Phoenix Press, later said the turbine positions the company for environmentally friendly branding for itself and its clients. Businesses that get their flyers made at Phoenix Press can tell their customers that the materials were made from wind power. Mathis said Phoenix press is preparing a ​“Wind To Press” branding campaign.

During the ceremony, Mathis introduced her uncle Brian as a ​“former hippie.” It was appropriate that he was the one to come up with the eco-friendly idea of wind power at the press, Mathis said.

After the ceremony, Driscoll acknowledged that he and his wife had gone through a hippy phase. ​“My niece used to call us Sonny and Cher,” he said with a chuckle.

Construction of the wind turbine sets Phoenix apart from it competitors, Driscoll said. While other companies are supporting the environment by buying wind energy credits, Phoenix is doing one better: building its very own turbine.

“We’re the first company of our size to install on-site wind power,” Driscoll said. ​“We’re doing it.”

The idea for a wind turbine came to him while he was looking for ways to cut costs at the press, Driscoll said. He talked to an EPA employee who happened to be monitoring wind speed and direction just down the street from the press. He found there was sufficient wind to put up a turbine.

Driscoll said he was greeted with some initial skepticism when he presented his idea to others at the press. ​“I think they all thought I was nuts,” he said. ​“I wasn’t sure either if it would ever happen.”

In honor of the ceremony, Dricoll was wearing all his wind-power fashion accessories. He wore a windmill pin and a green tie with little turbines on it. ​“It’s a wind tie!” he said proudly.

Inside the building after the ceremony, pressman Mark Shea was back at work. He pulled fresh multi-color mailers off the Heidelberg Speed Master.

Shea expressed satisfaction with the turbine plan. ​“Hopefully it’ll work,” he said. ​“I guess it can’t hurt.”