Region's largest wind farm draws tour groups (Mars Hill, Maine)

[jpak]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2007/07/31/regions_largest_wind_farm_draws_tour_groups/

MARS HILL, Maine --New England's largest wind farm is becoming something of a tourist attraction.

More than 40 people last weekend joined an environmental group's excursion to this northern Maine town to get a close-up view of the 28-unit wind farm on a mountain just west of the state's border with Canada.

The weather was sunny with a steady wind blowing as the group toured the ridgeline, where 260-foot-tall turbines are topped by 115-foot blades. At full capacity, they are designed to crank out the equivalent power needs of 45,000 average Maine homes.

Some of those who joined the Natural Resources Council of Maine's trip on Saturday hiked up Mars Hill Mountain, while others rode. The trip included a meeting with officials from UPC Wind Management of Newton, Mass., the developer, and discussions with town officials and business owners about the impact of the green-power project. The group also met with engineering contractor Reed & Reed.

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