January 23, 2013
Maine

First Wind files for new 18-turbine wind farm

Written by Steve Fuller | Wednesday, January 23, 2013 | fenceviewer.com

TOWNSHIP 16 – First Wind has filed applications with state agencies to build a new 18-turbine wind farm in eastern Hancock County.

The project would be located in Township 16 and Township 22. The former is the site of First Wind’s existing 19-turbine Bull Hill wind farm, which went online several months ago.

Applications have been filed with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Maine Land Use Planning Commission, according to First Wind’s Dave Fowler. Fowler is the company’s director of development for the New England region.

The Planning Commission will weigh in on shoreland zoning and similar matters because the project is located in an unorganized territory.

Fowler said “the lion’s share of the permitting process,” however, lies with DEP. He said First Wind expects DEP’s review process to take about six months, while the Planning Commission’s work will likely be done before that.

If approved, the new project would consist of 18 three-megawatt turbines made by either Vestas or Siemens. Of those 18 turbines, four would be located in Township 16 and the remaining 14 would be in Township 22.

Depending on which model is selected, the turbines would have a maximum height – from the base of the tower to the tip of the highest blade – of about 512 feet.

That’s 36 feet higher than the 1.8-megawatt turbines at the Bull Hill project.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/01/23/first-wind-files-for-new-18-turbine-wind-farm/