- Wind power is fast becoming the wave of the future in Maine. With several proposed wind projects for the state's mountains, it is evident that the search for alternative energy sources has begun in earnest. Roxbury and Byron are now figuring into the equation with a proposal by Independence Wind, LLC of Brunswick to construct up to 25 wind towers on Flathead, Partridge, and Record Mountain pending the results of a wind data study currently being conducted in those locations. On Aug. 25, representatives of Independence Wind met with about 35 citizens in the Silver Lake Campowners Association to discuss future plans for the wind farm. Currently, Bay Root, LLC, owns land on which the towers would be situated and managed by Wagner Forest Management, which had representative Gordon Gamble present to answer citizen's questions. Previously, the principals in the project, Angus King and Robert Gardiner, had met with the Roxbury selectmen. "The reason they met with us separately is the town of Roxbury is going to benefit. People on the pond who come here year-round or to visit may see it as a negative," said Dennis Daniel, who owns Ellis Pond Variety. The two 197-foot experimental wind towers were recently put up on Flathead Mountain to measure wind potential on the ridge. Representatives of Independence Wind could not be reached for comment. On the company's website, it mentions that the key criteria for a suitable wind farm site are wind strength, suitable terrain that includes a north-south ridge orientation to Maine's prevailing west-northwest wind direction, sufficient scale to allow multiple turbines, and reasonable slope, accessibility, and construction conditions. Other factors listed include proximity of existing electrical transmission capacity, which is essential due to the high costs of constructing many miles of new transmission lines. The company has also listed among its project priorities the avoidance of unique wildlife habitat, locations of threatened species or critical plant habitats, and acceptability to local communities. Another aspect that Independence Wind has taken into consideration is that the land is under single ownership, making negotiations less complicated. When the data has been collected for at least 8 months and analyzed, if the site is deemed suitable, 20 to 25 wind towers of up to 345' would be built. Some of them would be lit, and no strobe lights will be used. The towers would stand in a five-mile, semicircle path. Of course, the company has to go through the state permitting process, which could take over two years to complete. There are Department of Environmental Protection regulations for road conditions, maintenance, and runoff that must be met as well. "Overall, they thought the terrain was going to be pretty good," said Daniel. The company stated that they would continue to allow ATV and snowmobile access with the wind towers in place. In fact, it was noted that they could be a possible tourist attraction. If everything goes as planned, Independence Wind hopes to start work on the towers in the fall of 2009. The cost to the company is projected to be $60 to $80 million, with $1.5 to $3 million to be spent before groundbreaking. When complete, the company's goal would be to have 2.5 megawatts of electricity generated per tower and will connect with the Rumford grid. Some wires will be routed above ground, while some will be located below ground. "Anyone in the power business likes to be above ground if possible, because below ground it produces less energy and costs more," said Daniel. The town is expected to get $500,000 in taxes if the project passes. Although some maintenance jobs will be created during construction, very few year-round, full-time jobs will be generated. If the towers are put up, they could be seen from areas around Garland Pond, places on the West Shore Road, and the two peninsulas on Roxbury Pond. Daniel observed that residents were basically split down the middle in their opinions on the project. Despite their personal feelings about the plan, though, those in attendance were impressed with the depth of information presented. Daniel also pointed out that Independence Wind is creating a website specifically related to the project for campowners to contact them at any time with questions and the campowner's association is forming a committee to address the proposal. "They want to work with the community very much," said Daniel of Independence Wind. "People felt like they were very straightforward." Daniel, like many in the community, is taking a neutral approach and collecting as much information as he can to stay up-to-date on the project. "We as a community will be working with them to see if there will be any negative impact on the pond at the moment."
From the Rumford Falls Times