WESTERLY - Town officials are looking into harnessing wind to power one or more municipal facilities.

Westerly officials met last week with representatives from EA Engineering, Science and Technology, a national firm with a Warwick office, to study and identify four or five potential wind turbine locations in town.

"I see this as both an environmental and an economic opportunity for the town. We're not just talking about green technology, we're getting involved," said Town Manager Steven Hartford.

Members of the town's Alternative Energy Study Committee were scheduled this weekend to visit 12 possible town-owned locations for a wind turbine. The committee is expected to then recommend seven sites to the engineering firm for further study.

The 12 sites were identified by EA Engineering, which conducted a "fatal flaw analysis" of 151 possible locations in Westerly. The analysis eliminated 111 sites as too small and another 28 properties in forests, high-density residential areas, wetlands or Westerly State Airport flight paths.

At the committee's Wednesday meeting, members said the most feasible properties are located in White Rock, near Chapman Pond and in the Alton Bradford Road area.

Ultimately, the firm's "pre-feasibility assessment report" will identify four or five large tracts of town-owned land near power-using town facilities like the schools, the water treatment plant and water pumping stations.

While town officials initially eyed a turbine to power the town's water treatment plant, the firm's fatal flaw analysis has found the location unsuitable for a wind turbine because of airport flight paths and nearby residences, committee members said.

The remaining suitable sites will be analyzed and ranked for wind power potential and factors including aesthetics, public safety and cost-effectiveness.

EA Engineering is expected to present preliminary results to the Alternate Energy Committee in December. The committee then plans to hold a public hearing in January, followed by a detailed evaluation of preferred sites in 2010, according to a news release issued last week.

If everything falls into place, Westerly could have an operating turbine as early as 2013, town officials announced.

Jean Gagnier, chairman of the Alternative Energy Study Committee, formed in 2004, said, "We are pleased that Westerly will become a leader again in wind generation. We are blessed with a beautiful community situated in a site with many natural resources. Our goal is to save on our municipal energy costs while providing an opportunity to reduce our dependence on carbon resources."

Wind turbines generated power to deliver running water to homes in Westerly roughly 100 years ago, Hartford said.

The town retained EA Engineering in August under a $25,000 contract, funded entirely by a grant from the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.

The town must repay the grant if the project is successfully completed, or if the study finds viable locations but town officials opt not to move forward with a turbine.

In lieu of money, the grant may be repaid by returning a percentage of electricity produced by the wind turbine.