February 4, 2020
New Hampshire

Antrim wind project complete

By Olivia Belanger, Sentinel Staff | Keene Sentinel | Feb 3, 2020 | www.sentinelsource.com

ANTRIM – The Antrim wind project is up and running, following years of debate among area residents.

The project’s nine wind turbines were active as of Dec. 24, according to the project’s owner TransAlta.

Based in Alberta, Canada, TransAlta operates more than 20 wind farms and 900 turbines across Canada, Australia and the United States. The company took over the operation from Antrim Wind Energy LLC last March, its website states.

The turbines were constructed on a ridgeline extending from Tuttle Hill southwest to Willard Mountain.

The turbines’ anticipated output of 28.8 megawatts of energy is enough to power 12,000 homes, according to the project’s applications, which also state construction costs were estimated to be $63 million to $65 million.

Energy produced by the turbines will be sold under long-term power purchase agreements, according to the website. Specifics on these agreements were not available from TransAlta Friday afternoon.

The project’s completion comes despite significant pushback, with opponents saying it could disrupt wildlife habitat, intrude on scenic views, cause too much noise and lower property values.

These concerns were taken to the N.H. Supreme Court in 2018, but the court upheld the N.H. Site Evaluation Committee’s December 2016 decision to approve the project.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2020/02/04/antrim-wind-project-complete/