February 2, 2011
Maine
Maine
Commissioners support wind energy proposal
By David Robinson, Staff Writer, Morning Sentinel, www.onlinesentinel.com 2 February 2011
By David Robinson, Staff Writer, Morning Sentinel, www.onlinesentinel.com 2 February 2011
FARMINGTON – A proposed wind-energy project on Saddleback Mountain in Carthage gained Franklin County commissioners’ support Tuesday.
Commissioners voted to support town and project officials’ attempts to gain permit approval from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Patriot Renewables LLC is seeking permits to build 12 wind turbines on the mountain ridge, said Andy Novey, project developer for the Quincy, Mass., wind-energy company.
The state is reviewing the application and is expected to set a public hearing on the permit in February, Novey told commissioners.
If approved, the project could begin construction this summer, or more likely in 2012, and would produce 33 megawatts of power, he said.
The project includes $48,000 in annual payments to the town of Carthage and a one-time payment of $60,000 to the state Bureau of Parks and Lands, Novey said. The tax assessment for the project is $58 million, and it has an expected duration of 20 years, he said.
Carthage Selectman Steve Brown said the town’s Board of Selectmen has supported the project and has decided to place no regulations beyond the state’s permitting process.
Voters rejected a request for a moratorium seeking more regulations on the project, Brown said.
It’s still unclear whether the project will involve any tax increment financing agreement, according to Brown and Novey.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/02/02/commissioners-support-wind-energy-proposal/