BARRINGTON — The state Ethics Commission ruled unanimously yesterday morning that Town Council President Jeffrey Brenner faces no conflict issues with his work on a wind turbine for the town.

The 6-to-0 decision leaves Brenner free to vote on the project, expected to be approved for the end of Legion Way at Brickyard Pond.

Questions about the propriety of Brenner’s work on the turbine were raised by the Barrington Times, which ran a story focusing on questions of whether the council president could be involved in the process because his employer, the law firm of Nixon Peabody LLP, is a member of the American Wind Energy Association. The AWEA has also helped develop a wind-siting handbook for the organization.

The Times based its story on a letter from resident Ann Foster, of Tiffany Circle, who asserted the conflict.

Brenner insisted that no conflict existed, saying that the AWEA has no involvement in the Barrington wind-turbine project, which has sparked strong opposition from people living near the high school, the first proposed site, and in the vicinity of Brickyard Pond.

He sought an advisory opinion from the commission anyway.

“In my 12 years on the Barrington Zoning Board and my four years on the council, I’ve never been accused of being unethical,” he told the commissioners, explaining his request for an advisory opinion.

In its decision, the commissioners accepted Brenner’s assertion that the AWEA is, according to yesterday’s advisory opinion, “merely a professional trade association akin to the American Bar Association or the American Medical Association.”

They agreed that Nixon Peabody, where Brenner is a non-equity partner, has no vested interest in the turbine project, anyone who has bid on, or in the no-interest loan the IRS is offering to give the town to help cover most of the cost of the project.

“All we’re really trying to do is save money for the town,” Brenner said.

apina@projo.com