ENVIRONMENTALISTS, AUDUBON SOC GO FOR MAINE WIND

This is a big win for Big Wind. Wind energy and our feathered friends CAN coexist! (And NewEnergyNews suggests this project be routed so that nobody among the NIMBYists at Cape Cod can get cheaper electricity from it.)

Environmental groups throw support behind E. Maine wind project
July 18, 2007 (Boston Globe)

WHO
Maine Audubon, Natural Resources Council of Maine, UPC Wind Management
click to enlarge

WHAT
Maine Audubon and the Natural Resources Council of Maine, two of the states largest environmental groups, have endorsed a UPC Wind Management Stetson Mountain wind energy project.

WHEN
Announcement July 17.
The Land Use Regulation Commission will hold sessions moving the project forward on August 7 & 8.

WHERE
- The Stetson Mountain project will along a 6-mile ridgeline on the border between northern Washington County and Penobscot County between Danforth and Springfield.
- The announcement of the environmentalists support was made in Bangor.
- UPC Wind is based in Massachusetts.

WHY
- The Stetson Mountain project will be 38 turbines at a cost of $100 million and become New England’s largest at 57 megawatts (estimated to supply 27,500 homes).
The site was chosen for its strong, steady winds, remote location and network of logging roads.
- The Land Use Regulation Commission is considering 3 projects, the environmentalists also endorsing a TransCanada 44 turbine, Kibby Mountain (northern Franklin County) project but split on Maine Mountain Power LLC's 18 turbine, Black Nubble Mountain
(western Maine) project.
The Stetson Mountains (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
Jody Jones, Maine Audubon wildlife ecologist: "It proves we do stand behind renewable, clean energy resources when they are appropriately sited…"