Answer:
The land manager, Wagner Forest Management, and a Maine-based wind development company, Independence Wind LLC, have formed a company called Record Hill Wind LLC, which proposes to develop the wind power potential on lands in Roxbury. Wagner Forest Management is based in Lyme, NH and manages forest lands in the Eastern United States and Canada. Independence Wind is a Maine company owned by Angus King, former Governor of Maine, and Rob Gardiner, former president of Maine Public Broadcasting. This group will develop and operate the wind farm at Record Hill. Record Hill Wind is using Maine-based contractors for almost every aspect of the project. Electrical engineering, civil engineering, environmental assessments, sound studies, visual photo-simulations, road construction, tower erection and other tasks for sub-contractorss are all being performed by firms based in Maine.
Answer:
There will be 22 wind turbines running in a single line along the ridge from Partridge Peak north to Record Hill, with five to six towers per mile. Each turbine tower will be approximately 260' high with three blades that are each nearly 160' long. When enough wind is blowing (about 9 mph) the turbines will rotate at a fairly constant speed of 12-15 rpm—that is one rotation about every four to five seconds. One or more turbines may be visible From Rte 17 for a third of its distance within Roxbury, where trees, hills, and other obstacles do not block the view of the ridge. The turbines will also be visible from the west shores of Roxbury Pond, but very hard to see from the east shores because of trees. Transmission lines to Rumford may be made somewhat more visible than the 34.5kv line that currently runs west of the Swift River, but the upgrades should not appear very different from what is there today. We have prepared photosimulations of what the turbines will look like after construction, and these are included in the DEP application. Photosimulations must be done carefully to use the perspective of the human eye and to put every element in that perspective. Ours have been prepared in accordance with state standards that are used to predict visual impacts. Different people may react to photosimulations differently, because visual effect is a subjective matter; some people find wind turbines attractive, while others may not.
Answer:
A number of studies have been conducted to address potential impacts to all wildlife species. These include: bird and bat studies, studies for rare, threatened, and endangered wildlife and plants, natural communities surveys, and breeding amphibians. A description of the study methodology and the study results have been included in our state permit application. Preliminary results show no rare or endangered species within the project site. Additionally, studies directed to document the movements of migratory birds and bats have shown these species to be flying higher than the proposed towers, thus limiting risk. There is a bald eagle nest on the island in Roxbury Pond, but it is over two miles from the nearest turbine. Fall and spring raptor (hawk and falcon) migration surveys on site have not documented these species near the ridge. Other wildlife species, such as moose or bear that currently use the ridge may temporarily relocate during the construction period (summer-fall 2010), but are expected to return relatively soon afterwards and are not anticipated to be affected long-term. Mammals are known to coexist with other human-made structures and projects, including wind farms, that are located in similar environments.
Answer:
All road building and other site work will be done to state standards that carefully control potential siltation to protect the water quality and fisheries of Roxbury Pond and its tributary streams. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has already told us what standards they will enforce. Because of these strict standards and many years of construction experience in techniques that have proven successful in preventing siltation, we are confident that there will be no impacts on Roxbury Pond.
Answer:
One reason that we think that Record Hill Ridge in Roxbury is a good wind project location is that on all sides Wagner Forest Management (the land owner/manager) owns land that provides a buffer zone that is 3/4 mile to two miles wide. This should be sufficient to protect any homeowner from hearing any significant level of sound from the turbines. At most wind farms, noise is not an issue, but setbacks from houses are the best way to avoid any potential problems. In Mars Hill, Maine, the new wind project caused some neighbors on the east (downwind) side of the ridge to complain about a "whooshing" noise when winds are relatively light. A few neighbors have told us that this problem occurs within 3000' of the turbines, and then only where there is direct line of sight of the turbines and the house is downwind. We calculate that the nearest house to Record Hill turbines will be further away than that, and ALL houses on the east side near Rte 17 (the downwind direction) will be one and a half to two miles away--more than twice as far from the turbines than the residences of people reporting problems at Mars Hill. Mars Hill neighbors also report that noise problems do not occur in summer months, due to summer wind and foliage conditions. Studies of potential for noise at Record Hill that are required as part of state permit applications have been completed and are available for public review. They demonstrate that under the noisiest conditions the project will operate at noise levels that are significantly lower than state "quiet zone" standards at every residence in Roxbury. We expect that DEP will scrutinize all new wind project applications very cautiously after understanding the neighbors' problems in Mars Hill, but projected sound levels for Record Hill Wind will be far quieter.
Answer:
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires night-time lighting for airplane safety. Approximately one half to one third of the towers will be required to have a slow, pulsing red light on the nacelle, but not on the blades. We will use special deflectors to reduce the visibility of lights from locations below the turbines. Please see our special fact sheet on this issue.
Answer:
The turbines will operate only when winds are 9 mph or higher on the ridge, which we estimate will be about 80% of the time. The turbines have internal gearing to maintain relatively constant rotation speed while allowing production of greater amounts of electricity as wind speeds increase. After winds reach roughly 30 mph, the turbines operate at fully rated capacity. Above 56 mph the turbines will shut down to protect themselves in storms.
Answer:
Wind turbines are very safe and have a superb safety record in the USA and other countries. The one predictable risk may occur when cold weather conditions cause ice to build up on the blades. This ice will drop off when warming occurs, and it usually drops quite near the tower base on the downwind side. During these relatively rare times, it will be important to keep people away from the area around the base of the turbines. We are working to determine the best way to inform the public of this safety precaution, however, no one has ever been injured in this manner.
Answer:
Shadow flicker occurs when the sun behind a turning turbine creates intervals of sun and shadows cast on a nearby area. This only occurs at sunrise and sunset in locations away from the turbines, and only when it is not cloudy. At distances less than 1/2 mile it can be annoying, but beyond about 1/2 mile the shadows are so indistinct that the effect is no longer noticeable. At Record Hill the houses to the east and west (sunrise and sunset conditions) are 1-2 miles away, so there should be no shadow flicker effect that any resident will notice. In addition, DEP will impose protection measures to assure that neighbors have no shadow flicker problem in connection with this project.
Answer:
Wind turbines have very, very rarely had fires in the nacelle (the location of the generators at the top of the towers). The only flammable materials are the lubricants for the gears, as almost every other part of the turbine is steel or other non-flammable material. Because the nacelles are so high, local firefighters are not expected to reach any fire. For this reason, turbines have fire suppression equipment installed in the nacelle to put out any fires, in part because the value of each turbine (at $2-4 million each) makes them important assets that have to be protected. There have been no significant forest or grass fires caused by turbines, as almost every fire has been contained in the nacelle and not caused outside damage.
Answer:
Blasting of ledge may be needed for construction of some—but not all—turbine foundations and some sections of roads. Any blasting is tightly regulated by the state, including pre-notifying residents and no-cost home inspections to document any potential impacts in some instances. Blasting for other kinds of construction frequently occurs in Maine very close to neighboring houses or other buildings without significant impacts. Because the distances from any turbine location to any existing house in Roxbury is at least 3/4 of a mile to two miles, there is little chance of any impacts on residential properties.
Answer:
A number of careful studies of property value impacts have been done where wind farms have been in place for several years. The best comparison was done on two projects in upper New York State (see: http://www.highsheldonwind.com/pdfs/news/Fenner_NY_Property_Value_Study_... ). Researchers found that property values in the towns—especially comparing houses with and without views of the turbines—showed very little difference in value when comparing actual sales both before and after the turbines were built. A second study of wind farms in the Midwest came to similar conclusions (see http://www.invenergyllc.com/pdf/Illinois_Property_Value_Press_Release_01... ).
It is possible that individual properties may deviate from this norm, but experience has shown minimal impact.
Answer:
We anticipate that the Record Hill Wind project will more than quadruple the total property valuation in Roxbury. Because the state provides less reimbursement for school costs as a town's valuation increases, the net effect on tax rates is a complicated calculation. However, we expect that tax rates to individual homeowners will drop about 66% after construction of the project. It is difficult to predict actual tax effects at this time, but we will continue to work with town officials to refine these estimates. Our latest analysis is now available for Roxbury.
Answer:
Any such talk is totally wrong. There is no basis for tax exemption under the law today, no one is proposing any changes along these lines, we have never considered it, and we will not seek property tax exemptions. One of the most significant benefits to Roxbury residents is the fact that our wind project will pay roughly 2/3 of all property taxes in town. We feel it is our responsibility to pay our fair share of taxes and will not seek a property tax exemption. Other wind projects have collaborated with towns using Tax Increment Financing plans (commonly called TIFs), but we are not proposing that in Roxbury.
Answer:
The new roads and turbine foundations will require some clearing of forested acres, but relatively little. Each turbine will require an opening of 1-2 acres during construction, but the majority of these openings will be allowed to grow back into forestland. Because turbine blades do not reach within 100 feet of the ground, it is not necessary to maintain large clearings. In addition, roads that are initially built wide enough for construction equipment will be reduced in width and the sides will be allowed to grow back following construction. Total clearing is expected to be less than 90 acres (out of approximately 8000 acres in the Wagner Record Hill parcel), and approximately half of these are expected to return to forested character within a few years.
Answer:
Yes, access to the ridge will actually increase. We will extend an existing logging road on the west side (Mine Notch Road) beyond its current extent to reach the ridge top, and then there will be a new road built along the ridgeline to connect the turbines. This will provide new access. The policy of the land manager (Wagner Forest Management) is and always has been to allow public use of its private road system, and that will continue. For safety reasons (see “safety” FAQ #8), the new road along the top of the ridge may have restricted access during icing or other special weather conditions to protect people’s safety. The existing ATV and snowmobile use of the Mine Notch road, which is part of the local trail system, will continue. During the construction period (2009-2010), access may be limited at times for safety and security reasons.
Answer:
We expect that wind power will still be an excellent energy source twenty-five years from now, and so we expect to replace these turbines in 20-25 years with new, state of the art turbines. We will include in our plans a proposal to meet standard state permit conditions for wind farms that require developers to set aside funds for complete removal of turbines and towers at the end of their useful lives.
Answer:
We expect that the turbines will last 20-25 years. As we near the end of this 25 year period, we will evaluate whether and when to do a major overhaul to extend the turbines’ life, to replace them with new turbines, or to decommission the site. Because the fuel for wind turbines—the wind itself—is free and renewable, and because wind turbines emit virtually no pollution, we expect to use the latest technology to continue to operate at this location well beyond the first 25 years with either these or newer turbines, if local approval is obtained.
Answer:
We have already hired a number of Maine-based firms to do our planning work—engineering, environmental studies, electrical system design, etc—and almost all of this is being done by firms in Maine. If we receive permission to construct the project, we expect to hire other Maine-based firms for road building, tower erection, transmission line, and other construction tasks. Our goal is to hire as locally as possible, finding folks with the skills needed either in, or as close as possible to, Roxbury to have the biggest positive impact on the local economy. The jobs impact during the year of construction (2010, we expect) will be considerable. Having so much construction activity in that year will also have a significant impact on local businesses that offer services such as motel rooms, restaurants, convenience stores, gas stations, etc. After the year of construction, there will be a few long-term jobs created to perform turbine maintenance, plow and repair roads, and other tasks. The effect of spending $70-90 million on this project will have positive economic impacts in Roxbury, Oxford County, and Maine.
Answer:
Roxbury's Planning Board will hold public hearings this summer on proposals to modify the land use ordinance to allow the project to be built. Roxbury voters are expected to vote on the proposed changes at a special town vote in September. DEP requires developers to meet a series of specific environmental standards to receive a permit for a wind project. As part or our application, DEP requires we conduct detailed studies about wetlands, birds, wildlife, historic resources, visual impact, noise, and other potential environmental concerns, and that we address erosion control, operating conditions, mitigation, and decommissioning as part of the permit process. We are currently developing those studies and expect to complete our plans for this project by the end of summer 2008. We will then submit our plans to DEP and the public for review. We have established this website to provide the public more information as it becomes available. In the fall of 2008, the DEP will hold public hearings in the area to receive public input—any citizen can speak their mind at such hearings. The DEP will take several months to solicit input and to decide whether permits should be granted.
Answer:
We estimate the project will generate 55 megawatts at full capacity and operate about 34% capacity on an annual basis. It will produce approximately 160 million kilowatt hours per year--after allowing for outages and transmission losses the electricity actually delivered to the grid will be about 130 million kWh. This is roughly equal to the amount of all residential electrical consumption in Oxford County. Because wind power is produced only when the wind blows, electrical consumers need to rely on multiple sources of power—hydro, gas, wind, and others—to have reliable, green, and cost-effective power.
Answer:
Wind power gets no special financial treatment of any kind from the State of Maine, and there are no plans for that in the Legislature. Federal law offers no direct subsidies but does provide a U.S. income tax credit to owners of wind projects if they begin operation before the end of 2008. Our project will not produce power until 2010, so it is not clear whether there will be any federal tax credit at that time. Three times in the past decade, Congress has allowed this type of credit to expire, so it is not at all guaranteed. Without it, there would be no tax benefits for wind at all.
Answer:
Power from the project will go into the "grid" at Rumford and be mixed with power from the hydro, biomass, and gas plants there. Customers actually use a blend of power from a variety of sources to balance demand with available generators and to minimize electricity prices. Because electricity naturally flows to the nearest customer with demand (an analogy is to water that runs downhill in the most direct path to the nearest stream), most of the electricity from the project will be consumed in Oxford and surrounding counties. Record Hill Wind has offered to provide the first 500 kwh of electricity free per month to every residence in Roxbury through an agreement with Central Maine power to cover the "generation" charge that is part of everyone's CMP bill.
Answer:
The project will neither increase nor decrease electricity prices in the short term. But, along with other new renewable energy projects in Maine, it should lower prices over the longer term. Today Maine households purchase a package of power from various sources. The current cost to CMP customers for electrical generation under the standard offer is nearly 10 cents per kWh—the “blended” price of all sources of power. Currently Maine gets about 50% of its electricity from generators which burn natural gas—the highest cost fuel today--and it’s this power that will most likely be partially replaced by wind. If we were to sell our wind power today, we would expect to receive something less than that “blend” price today. The real cost advantage, however, is over the long term as fossil fuel prices go up but renewable sources like wind and solar—with no fuel cost—can stay roughly the same.
Roxbury residents--both year round and seasonal--will receive a credit for the "generation" charge on their CMP bills every month up to 500 kwh. This means that the average household will receive about a $50 per month or $600 per year electricity benefit.
Answer:
Our first choice is to sell the power to large commercial purchasers based in Maine, such as colleges, large businesses, or hospitals which are actively seeking “green” power sources. Whatever we cannot sell to large Maine purchasers will be sold into the New England wholesale electricity market or to electricity “aggregators” that operate in multiple states, including the provider of most of Maine’s residential power. While it is our intention that most of the power will be sold in Maine, this sale to an aggregator makes it very hard to say that none of the power will be sold out of state. Because the electrons themselves tend to be consumed near the source of generation, we can comfortably say that most of the power will be used in Maine, even if the bills are paid somewhere else.
Answer:
As green as electricity gets. When wind farms operate, they reduce the hours of operation by fossil fuel plants, and thereby reduce air pollution caused by those oil, gas, and coal plants. This directly affects total “greenhouse gas” emissions. Wind farms produce no emissions and have minimal environmental impacts. Currently Maine gets a lot of energy from hydro and biomass (wood-burning) plants, but dams have significant impacts on fisheries, and biomass generators still emit some greenhouse gasses during combustion. Solar panels can produce green power without emissions, but they are not as cost-effective as wind power in Maine today, due to the relatively high cost per KWh that they produce. Currently wind power is the most practical, affordable renewable energy source with undeveloped potential in Maine.
Answer:
Too often we pass up opportunities to do good today in hopes that the perfect solution will come along tomorrow. It should be clear that there is no single silver bullet that will solve all of our environmental and energy needs. We believe that wind power is the most cost effective source of clean energy in Maine today. Wind power offers an opportunity to generate electricity without emitting a single pound of pollution and without raising electricity rates. If a better solution comes along years from now, we know that wind turbines can be removed without leaving a trace. When your grandchildren ask what you did to fight global warming, what will your answer be?