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| PRESS RELEASE: UPC WIND’S PROPOSED 57 MEGAWATT STETSON WIND PROJECT IN MAINE REACHES MAJOR MILESTONE |
| Project is endorsed by the Chairman of the Washington County Commissioners and recently filed rezoning petition deemed complete by the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission |
| 04/23/2007 |
—UPC Wind, a leading North American wind power company, today announced key milestones for its proposed 57 megawatt (MW) Stetson Wind Project, which will be situated on a ridge in Washington County, Maine. With the promise to provide revenue and new jobs for the surrounding area, the project has received support from key community leaders including the Chairman of the Washington County Commissioners. In addition, the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) recently deemed the project’s rezoning petition as complete, which will set the stage for a full review of the project by LURC along with public hearings.
“We are pleased that UPC Wind has proposed this project for Washington County as it will bring important benefits to the community including jobs and clean wind technology,” said Chairman Christopher Gardner of the Washington County Commissioners. “We are impressed with the initial plans presented by UPC Wind and we look forward to making the Stetson Wind Project a reality.”
The proposed Stetson Wind Project will produce over 150 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually – enough to power about 27,500 homes per year. Generating that amount of electricity using oil and gas would emit 107,500 metric tons of pollutants; the Stetson Wind Project will emit no pollutants. The project would consist of the construction and operation of 38 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines. With about 5,000 GE 1.5MW turbines in service in the U.S. as of today, they are considered the most reliable in the wind industry.
As part of the project, UPC Wind expects to employ hundreds of people during the design, engineering and construction of the facility, with the potential for local employment on road, foundation and electrical line construction work. The proposed site was carefully selected based on a number of factors including 1) the ridge’s location is an excellent source of wind, 2) the location has no residential property currently closer than 2,500 feet, and 3) minimal environmental impact. The ridge, which had historically been used for logging, provides existing roads that will be improved during construction, and two-thirds of the needed transmission lines will be in the same area as existing electric lines.
“Together with UPC Wind’s facility in Mars Hill, the proposed Stetson Wind Project will generate enough clean wind energy to power about 50,000 homes,” said Paul Gaynor, President and CEO of UPC Wind. “Although this project is still in the early planning and permitting stages, we are encouraged by the positive feedback we have received from Commissioner Gardner and the people of Washington County. We consider the people of Maine our long-term partner in the effort to increase America’s sources of clean and renewable energy, and will continue to work closely with them throughout this process.”
In addition to increasing domestic energy production and increasing energy security, wind power is considered cost competitive with conventional sources of electricity, such as oil or gas. Unlike traditional polluting sources of energy, wind has no fuel cost, therefore serving as a natural hedge against volatile fuel prices, which constitutes a significant portion of monthly electricity bills in most markets in the US. Wind power also emits no greenhouse gases or other damaging pollutants.
About First Wind
First Wind is based in Newton, Massachusetts. First Wind is an American-owned company, with a proven track record of developing, owning, and operating well-sited, community-friendly wind farms that increase energy independence. For more information on First Wind, please visit www.firstwind.com.
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For more information, contact:
John Lamontagne
Director, Communications
First Wind
617-964-3340
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