Bethlehem's Water Authority Executive Director Stephen Repasch told board members Sept. 11 a few long-term projects have finally begun to bear fruit.

Firstly, Repasch said the authority will finally be cashing in on the earned carbon credits for some of its forest properties. This increasingly popular type of deal is an emission trade between investing companies that wish to emit tons of greenhouse gases and green property owning agencies such as the authority, which do not.

The credits for 2013 have been authorized, he said, and will net about $106,000 profit. He explained the total revenue was about $221,000, but a lot of expenses were accrued by carbon managing company Blue Source as it worked the land. Those costs should be reduced from here out, Repasch said, as much of the heavy lifting on verifying the carbon levels at properties will now take place at desks rather than out in the field. "We don't expect field verifications for another four years," he said, adding renegotiating deals may also improve income.

Repasch also said PJM electricity market's first feasibility study for the wind energy project has been completed, and he related the results succinctly: "Some interesting, some boring and some not understandable."

He said the estimated cost for interconnecting the wind farm, if developed, with the PJM grid is $8.3 million. The next step is a grid impact study at the cost of about $50,000, but wind company Iberdrola is the managing entity and ultimately the decision to continue rests there.

Board President Vaughn Gower said simply, "We'll see if it's worth gambling fifty grand."

Either way, Repasch said, some items, such as the MET wind towers, will remain installed, collecting data, and earning money - $10,000 for each of the first five years and $100,000 each year for the second half-decade.

The next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 9 at city hall.