The Navy has installed a 193-foot wind survey tower at Naval Submarine Base New London, Conn., to determine if wind would be a feasible power source.

The tower, located in the Balfour Beatty housing community, will be used to study the amount of wind that gusts along the Thames River, reported the Navy News Service.

“The tower will be up for at least a year to study wind patterns and the average velocity of wind in the area in order to determine if a utility-size wind turbine would benefit the base,” said Bill Jankowski, energy manager at the base’s public works department. “If feasible, this would be a good deal for the Navy and a good deal for taxpayers.”

The base spent $10.9 million on electricity in fiscal 2011, an expenditure that could be curtailed if a wind turbine were built.

One utility-size wind turbine would output an average of two to five megawatts of power a year, Jankowski estimated. Submarine base commands use an average of 10 megawatts per year, so a turbine could trim costs by 20 to 50 percent.

“It’s all about reducing the operating costs of shore operations,” said Jankowski. “Energy efficiency and reducing our environmental footprint are big priorities for the Navy.”