Mars Hill (Maine wind) project a(n Aroostock) County windfall

[jpak]

http://bangordailynews.com/news/t/statewide.aspx?articleid=142393&zoneid=500

MARS HILL — Underneath a bank of fog, construction crews on Mars Hill Mountain were busily stacking tower sections and assembling blades this week as they worked to complete what in the past two weeks has been the most visible part of the biggest wind power operation to come to New England.

Crews are installing 28 wind turbines along the mountain ridge — which stretches north to south about four miles — for wind farm developer Evergreen Wind Power LLC of Bangor. The corporation has worked for four years and is spending about $55 million to develop the Mars Hill Wind Farm, which officials say will generate at full capacity about 42 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply about 45,000 homes. Whether the electricity will be sold to customers in Maine or elsewhere is still being negotiated.

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Once the project is completed and on line, the town of Mars Hill will get $500,000 yearly in property taxes. The 20-year agreement will bring $10 million in taxes to this town of 1,400.

"That’s significant," Mersereau said. "There are not many kinds of projects that can bring that kind of thing to a community our size." The Annual Register of Maine places the value of the community at just over $42 million in 2004-2005.

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[dave502d]

1. Thumbs-up to Bishop Hill wind farm.

CAMBRIDGE - The Henry County planning committee on Monday unanimously ruled that Invenergy's 266-permit application for a wind energy farm is consistent with the county's comprehensive plan.
The firm has signed up 168 landowners with a total of 377 parcels in their project area stretching from rural Galva to rural Woodhull.

During a formal presentation to the planning committee, Invenergy project manager Mike Arndt said the 400-megawatt wind farm would power 150,000 homes and offer $6 million in property tax revenue every year to local schools and other Henry County taxing districts. Illinois wants 8 percent of its energy to be derived from alternative energy sources by 2012.

http://www.register-mail.com/stories/092306/LOC_BB14J90A.GID.shtml