January 9, 2008
Maine

LURC to take up Western Maine wind farms

State land use regulation commissioners plan to deliberate Monday on two wind power projects that developers want to build in northern Franklin County.

The session will be open to the public but no public comments will be taken. Instead the Land Use Regulation Commission will deliberate three hours each on the projects using facts and findings and conclusions of law submitted by project developers as well as parties for and against the proposals.

It is the first time in her career, LURC Director Catherine Carroll said, that the commission will deliberate on applications instead of having a staff recommendation to guide them.

Public hearings on both Maine Mountain Power, LLC’s and TransCanada Maine Wind Development Inc.’s projects were held last year.

Carroll said she doesn’t expect decisions to be made on the projects Monday but the board could vote to accept some of the documents submitted or direct the staff to draft a recommendation based on commissioners’ deliberations.

The deliberation session is a new process that was requested by an intervening party, Carroll said.

The first three hours, from 9 a.m. to noon, will focus on Maine Mountain Power LLC’s application for preliminary development and petition to rezone about 487 acres to a planned development subdistrict in Redington and Wyman townships.

Maine Mountain Power wants to construct a 54 megawatt, 18-turbine wind farm on Black Nubble Mountain.

After lunch, from 1 to 4 p.m. commissioners are scheduled to take up TransCanada Maine Wind Development Inc.’s proposal to build a 132 megawatt, 44-turbine wind farm on Kibby Mountain and Kibby Range in Kibby and Skinner townships.

They have submitted an application for a preliminary development plan and a petition to rezone 2,908 acres in two parcels to planned development subdistricts.

By Donna M. Perry
Staff Writer

Sun Journal

9 January 2008


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/09/lurc-to-take-up-western-maine-wind-farms/