State's first wind farm planned in St. Mary Parish

[RickLafayette]

FRANKLIN, La. (AP) - St. Mary Parish could be the site of the state's first commercial wind farm of energy-producing turbines under a plan by a Metairie company.
The Advocate reports Southern States Renewable Energy is proposing a $40 million project that, under the current plan, would bring eight 498-foot-tall wind turbines to an isolated patch of coastal land near the Port of West St. Mary.
Frank Fink, economic development director for St. Mary Parish, said the project offers the parish an opportunity to branch out from the conventional oil-and-gas projects.
Louisiana is generally not considered a prime area for wind-energy projects.
But the coast is an exception, and Bill Gallardo, with Southern State Renewable Energy, says the site in St. Mary Parish offers some of the best potential in the state.