State may tap wind on Great Blue

State officials are considering placing a wind turbine on top of Great Blue Hill in Milton, capitalizing on surging interest in alternative forms of energy.

The idea is in the early stages, but a $10,000 state grant is being used to study the feasibility.

One concern is that a state-of-the-art wind turbine, as high as 335 feet with blades of approximately 120 feet, could interfere with planes flying from Norwood or Logan airports.

Blue Hills joins the old Quincy shipyard as a possible site for a new wind turbine.

Last week Jay Cashman, whose construction company wants to build a massive offshore wind power project on Buzzards Bay, made public his intention to erect a wind turbine on land he owns at the shipyard. The shipyard windmill would, at 386 feet, be taller than the one proposed for the Blue Hills.

A state official was noncommital about whether a wind turbine in the Blue Hills might actually be built.

"You have a nice high point, people are interested, and we'll see what the possibilities are," said spokesman Robert Keough of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

Great Blue Hill, at 635 feet, is known for its wind gusts. The second strongest wind gust ever noted on earth - 186 miles per hour - was recorded on its peak in 1938.

If built, the turbine would be a highly visible emblem of wind power.

The peak of Great Blue Hill in Blue Hills Reservation can be seen for miles by homeowners and commuters, especially along Interstates 93 and 95.