Two of Maine’s largest environmental organizations are endorsing a wind energy project proposed for northern Washington County.
Representatives from Maine Audubon and the Natural Resources Council of Maine said separately Tuesday that their organizations are supporting UPC Wind Management’s plan to build 38 wind turbines on Stetson Mountain.
If constructed today, the $100 million Stetson Mountain project would be New England’s largest wind-energy facility, generating an estimated 57 megawatts of pollution-free power annually.
The Land Use Regulation Commission tentatively is scheduled to hold a public hearing and work session on the Stetson Mountain application Aug. 7-8.
Maine Audubon and NRCM have come out both for and against major wind projects in Maine during the past year. The two groups are not always on same side, either.
Both groups fiercely fought a proposal for 30 turbines in the Carrabassett Valley area last year. But while NRCM is backing a scaled-down version of the Black Nubble project, Maine Audubon remains opposed out of concern for the impact on wildlife.
NRCM and Maine Audubon also are supporting a proposed 44-turbine wind farm on Kibby Mountain in Franklin County.
On Tuesday, a Maine Audubon representative said her group decided to support the Stetson Mountain project after determining the site does not include any habitat for rare or declining species. Unlike Black Nubble, Stetson Mountain is not a protected and unfragmented high-elevation area, she said.
"It proves we do stand behind renewable, clean energy resources when they are appropriately sited," said Jody Jones, a Maine Audubon wildlife ecologist.
Jones said Maine Audubon also was satisfied with the studies of migratory bird and bat patterns that UPC has commissioned and pledged to continue after construction. In addition, the company has agreed to remove the roughly 390-foot-tall turbines should they stop generating power.
Maine Audubon subsequently has withdrawn its request with LURC to serve as an intervenor on the Stetson application. NRCM, meanwhile, plans to intervene in support of the project, according to Pete Didisheim, the group’s director of advocacy.
Didisheim said NRCM has been reviewing the application and talking with UPC Wind for several months. NRCM representatives decided during the past week that the Stetson project meets the group’s guidelines for wind power.
"We think it’s a good project in a good location," Didisheim said.
Stetson Mountain is a ridgeline that runs for about six miles along the border between northern Washington County and Penobscot County. UPC Wind officials said they selected the site because it offers strong, steady winds in a remote location with an existing network of logging roads.
Area officials have come out in favor of the wind-energy project. But some local residents have expressed concerns about impacts on scenery and wildlife, noise from the turbines and routing of power lines. By Kevin Miller of the Bangor Daily News 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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