Wind Power News: Maine
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Janet Mills lifts LePage ban on new wind power permits in Maine
In her third executive order, Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday ended a 2018 moratorium restricting the issuance of permits for wind turbine projects across the state. The moratorium on all commercial wind turbine licenses was implemented last January by former Gov. Paul LePage, who imposed it when he set up a commission to study the impact of turbines on tourism, property values and the environment. It earned his administration resistance in the Legislature and a handful of lawsuits from environmental . . . Complete story »
Mills signs executive order reversing LePage moratorium on wind energy permits
AUGUSTA – Gov. Janet Mills has signed an executive order effectively ending a moratorium on wind turbine permits issued by her predecessor, Gov. Paul LePage. The order by Mills, a Democrat, clarifies that state agencies with the legal authority to issue permits can again work with Maine’s local communities and stakeholders to determine which projects should go forward. While LePage’s executive order did not appear to have any practical effect on projects, Mills said her new order was meant to send . . . Complete story »
Offshore wind project hits rough water in New England
America’s first major offshore wind project is caught in a crosswind. The Federal Regulatory Energy Commission declined this week to rule on a waiver that would have eased the wind developer’s entry into New England’s electricity market. The decision, or lack thereof, prompted an unusual round of public sniping among FERC commissioners on Twitter and highlights the simmering tensions in New England, where state climate ambitions are straining against the structure of the region’s wholesale electricity markets. Some environmentalists and . . . Complete story »
CMP sweetens its offer for approval of transmission corridor, to $258 million
The companies behind a proposal to build a 145-mile transmission line to send hydropower from Quebec to Massachusetts would dole out $258 million in Maine over 40 years if Central Maine Power wins permission to build the line through the western part of the state. The payout is identified in confidential documents drawn up by stakeholders in a permitting case before the Public Utilities Commission. The documents, obtained by the Portland Press Herald, show that Maine electric customers would get . . . Complete story »
Clean-energy agenda sees power surge in Augusta
When she was 12, Chloe Maxmin formed a Climate Action club at her school. At Harvard, where she graduated in 2015, she co-founded a campaign calling for the university to sell its fossil fuel investments. And after running as a Democrat and winning a House seat in November in a heavily Republican district that includes her hometown of Nobleboro, Maxmin is following her convictions as the lead sponsor of a bill to create a Green New Deal in Maine. The . . . Complete story »
Both sides make their cases at wind project hearing
AURORA – Residents made more noise than the quiet wind on Wednesday as stakeholders met at the Airline Community School to discuss a proposal for a 22-turbine wind farm under review by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Close to a dozen speakers commented during the meeting, which was hosted by the DEP, one of the agencies tasked with reviewing the plans. Most of those who spoke were in favor of the proposal for Weaver Wind, an application for which . . . Complete story »
Roxbury wind turbine project draws opposition
ROXBURY – A proposal to build four wind turbines nearly 500 feet tall on North Twin Mountain in Roxbury drew opposition from conservationists and others at a public hearing on Jan. 7 at the Town Office. Nearly half of the 25 people attending testified, many of them having ties to Mahoosuc Land Trust in Bethel. The organization, which has more than 1,000 members, is dedicated to protecting the natural and cultural treasures in the Mahoosuc Mountain Range. Area residents’ primary concern . . . Complete story »
Roxbury wind project seen as ‘eyesore’ for hikers
ROXBURY – A proposal to build four wind turbines nearly 500 feet tall on North Twin Mountain in Roxbury drew opposition from conservationists and others at a public hearing Monday evening at the Town Office. Nearly half of the 25 people attending testified, many of them having ties to Mahoosuc Land Trust in Bethel. The organization, which has more than 1,000 members, is dedicated to protecting the natural and cultural treasures in the Mahoosuc Mountain Range. Area residents’ primary concern was . . . Complete story »
Public hearings set on Roxbury Wind Project
ROXBURY – Roxwind LLC has submitted a permit application to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection for the Roxwind Project on North Twin Mountain. The project would produce 15.2 megawatts of power and include access roads and overhead and underground collection lines. Board of Selectmen Chairman John Sutton confirmed a public hearing on the project will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at the Town Hall, 1095 Roxbury Road. The DEP will hold another public hearing from 6 to 8 Monday . . . Complete story »
Decade old Saco wind turbine removed in November
SACO – After a decade of greeting motorists as they crossed over the Saco River to downtown Saco, the York Hill wind turbine was torn down in late November. The 100-foot-tall white structure had become a part of the city’s landscape. The city installed the wind turbine, manufactured by the Colorado-based company Entegrity Wind Systems, in 2008. The cost to purchase and install the turbine was about $200,000. The wind turbine came with a generous agreement from Entegrity Wind Systems, guaranteeing . . . Complete story »
