June 23, 2015
New Hampshire

State to decide on wind project

By Ashley Saari | Monadnock Ledger-Transcript | Monday, June 22, 2015 | (Published in print: Tuesday, June 23, 2015) | www.ledgertranscript.com

The state’s Site Evaluation Committee will decide early next month whether to take jurisdiction of a proposed wind energy project in Antrim.

Antrim Wind Energy first appeared before the Site Evaluation Committee in 2012, with a proposed 10-turbine, 30-megawatt wind energy facility to be located on Tuttle Hill and Willard Mountain. The Site Evaluation Committee denied the project, on grounds of sight impacts.

Antrim Wind Energy is submitting another revision of its project, with the turbine most visible from sites like Gregg Lake and Willard Pond removed, and the overall height of the towers shortened in hopes that the SEC will come back with a decision in its favor this time.

But first, the SEC must agree to take jurisdiction of the project. The state was required to take approval of the project in 2012 because all wind projects over 30 megawatts are automatically under state jurisdiction. With the elimination of one of the towers, AWE’s proposed wind farm is now only 27 megawatts and no longer meets that threshold. However the state can take jurisdiction for smaller projects at the request of the town or project proposer.

The SEC will be holding two adjudicative hearings to decide whether to take jurisdiction from Antrim. The hearings, which are open to the public, will be held on July 6 and July 7, both starting at 9 a.m. in the Offices of the Public Utilities Commission on 21 South Fruit St., Suite 10 in Concord. At the end of both hearings, the committee will make its decision.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/06/23/state-to-decide-on-wind-project/