PUC OKs First Wind contract to supply CMP, Bangor Hydro
10/10/09 | 15 comments

PUC OKs First Wind contract to supply CMP, Bangor Hydro


By Nick Sambides Jr.
BDN Staff

A subsidiary of the state’s largest wind power manufacturer will get Maine’s first long-term electricity supply contract for its proposed 60-megawatt Rollins Mountain project in Penobscot County, officials said this week.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved awarding the 20-year contract to First Wind Holding LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Evergreen Wind Power III LLC, on Wednesday, state officials said.

While a state permit allowing construction of the project, which has yet to attract investors, has been appealed by a group opposing the wind farm, proponents are optimistic that the contract will help secure investors in the project.

“This is good news for ratepayers and renewable energy development in Maine,” commission Chairwoman Sharon Reishus said in a statement.

“The First Wind contract makes it possible for Maine ratepayers to gain energy supply cost benefits from a renewable energy resource, and the company gets the financial assurance the contract provides to become fully operational,” Reishus added.

The contract is the first long-term deal approved since the state restructured its electric utilities in 2000. The state Legislature gave the commission authority in 2006 to create long-term electric generation contracts in order to bring cost benefits to Maine ratepayers, officials said.

Those contracts were supposed to lower electricity supply costs for Maine consumers, increase renewable capacity, hedge against market prices of electricity, offset costs resulting from new transmission and provide a lower cost alternative to new transmission investment.

The commission directed Central Maine Power Co. and Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. to share the contract in an 80-20 split with CMP securing the larger portion, officials said. The decision will be final with completion of the written order.

While First Wind has been awarded the contract, a state permit allowing the Rollins Wind project — a proposed 40-turbine, $130 million industrial wind site for the Rollins Mountain ridgelines in Burlington, Lee, Lincoln and Winn — is being appealed in Superior Court by the Friends of Lincoln Lakes, a residents’ group.

Moreover, the project lacks an investor to pay for its construction. The project has no set construction or start-up date and might not occur at all if the Friends group wins its appeal, said John Lamontagne, First Wind’s spokesman.

“The contract is triggered by the commissioning of the project,” Lamontagne said Wednesday.

However, the securing of the contract will help First Wind draw investors to the project, he said.

“It allows us to secure project financing because of the certainty of the sale of the power once the project is built,” Lamontagne said.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection issued First Wind of Massachusetts a permit for the Rollins Mountain project in April. Individual towns and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have also issued permits.

Proponents have praised First Wind as a conscientious creator of wind power, saying the Lincoln Lakes project would create as much as 60 megawatts of pollution-free electricity in peak winds.

The Friends group contends that the turbines would lower land values and threaten human and animal health with light flicker and low-decibel sound, disrupt the pastoral nature of Rollins and typically generate a fraction of their capacity.

The group argued its case to the DEP, but the agency largely dismissed the complaints for lack of evidence.

It would typically take nine months to a year to build a project like the one proposed for Rollins Mountain, Lamontagne said.

Not registered? Click here
E-mail this
Print this
Guidelines for posting on bangordailynews.com

Bangordailynews.com is pleased to offer a forum for readers to react to our stories, discuss them and provide additional information. We are reluctant to delete comments, but do reserve that right for those who abuse our forum. For more on using this site, please see our terms of service.

The primary rule here is pretty simple: Treat others with the same respect you'd want for yourself. What does that mean specifically? Here are some guidelines (see more):

Comments
15 comments on this item
On 10/10/09 at 7:20 AM, rockstars wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

BDN...your title has nothing to do with reality.

First Wind is broke. They had to borrow money to keep from having the Stetson Mt wind farm forclosed.

The Stetson Mt windfarm is not online. Here is proof. http://bit.ly/3XMRV1

There is no room on the grid for any of these projects. The PUC, LURC ,AG office and DEP all know this . Read it and weep Mainers for the corruption of your state govt.

This article proves the collusion of BDN on the corruption. FoLL and others are demanding an investigation by the AG office. I called the AG office many many months ago.This was their response."It is not our concern."

Does the title of this article reflect what is going on in Maine? Is this the reason that newspapers are going under all over the US?

Report abuse
On 10/10/09 at 8:08 AM, rockstars wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I just sent this article to the Conn Attorney General's office. They do their job and are investigating Iso New England for anti trust issues. First Wind is also being investigated for anti trust violations by the NY Attorney General. What is the Maine Attorney General's office doing? Taking orders from First Wind and Gov Baldaci.

Report abuse
On 10/10/09 at 8:20 AM, rockstars wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Just sent this article to Democracy Now...with the link proving Stetson Mt wind farm is not online. . Nick Sambides just might get famous.

Report abuse
On 10/10/09 at 9:52 AM, Patten_Pete wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Nick Sambides - would it please be possible to explain to readers the difference between "nameplate" and actual electric production - and perhaps state both whenever you cite one or the other? Otherwise, your reports are very misleading. Thank you.

Report abuse
On 10/10/09 at 10:23 AM, ElectraGlide wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Only the brightest and best in Maine polictics!!!!

Report abuse
On 10/10/09 at 10:24 AM, ElectraGlide wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Have you really thought about Tabor???????

Report abuse
On 10/10/09 at 10:54 AM, rockstars wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

patten-pete...check out http://bit.ly/nVWRg

Start at 3:52..Rep Massa is explaining how the money First Wind got , 71 million is against the law. It is in the stimulus bill ...it does not create jobs. It repairs turbines made overseas for the wind farm scam. GE made defective turbines, which First Wind bought up. ..Now they are having to get a bail out like the banks. Rewarded for being criminals by criminally giving away tax payers hard earned money. If PUC doesn't know this, they are not only criminal but dumb.

I sent this video to the Conn AG too. They aren't afraid to investigate criminals.Nick Sambides has to mislead. If he told the truth..it might make gov bald and First Wind mad.

Report abuse
On 10/10/09 at 8:28 PM, TheBear wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

And still my Bangor Hydro bill goes higher.......and higher.......and higher........and higher

Report abuse
On 10/10/09 at 8:45 PM, foulwind1 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

50 Years ago politicians were owned by three industries, Railroads, Timber and Electricity, Today it is one, Wind Power!

Industrial wind cannot survive with a clean political process, in Maine it is WINDGATE for sure with two Wind Shills, King and Baldacci.

Clean Power Demands Clean Process.........They will never get the former, without the latter.

Report abuse
On 10/10/09 at 8:52 PM, foulwind1 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

A Call to Seize Our Constitutional Rights

For those of us under attack by industrial wind, to those of us who know our rights, to all those good citizens who just want to go about their lives in a free manner, and to all the good citizens of Maine.

The attack on our constitution in Maine, our very rights as citizens, is under assault by powerful forces in Maine. From governors past and present and future, it must be stated that it is our state, Not theirs. And to those Wind corporations, you are only allowed here because we permit you to be here. But enough is enough!

“We, The people”. What a powerful three words that is. But have we grown lax, lazy, unconcerned, or just too busy with our lives to realize how blessed we are to have inherited them. Much blood and history has preserved their meaning, and their preservation can only be obtained by constant vigilance by ‘We, the People.”

The facts are now coming out relating to this scam in Maine. How present and past governors show disdain for their oath and our constitution and people. How power can try to pervert our legal process if not responded to forcefully with our lawful citizen actions and words. How secret meetings , designed to pervert our legal processes have occurred.

“We, the People” have had a good week. The press is listening, more citizens are listening, and our groups of Wind Warriors have shed their fears and anxieties and seized their opportunity to reverse the tide of this scam in Maine.

Spread your voices with facts and truth and rights, and continue to hit the press and populace with them .Contact your representatives and demand that they listen. For each of us, just convince one or two other citizens of the facts concerning this scam in Maine, and eventually, we will prevail. Support all legal actions in any way you can.

“Clean Power Demands Clean Process.”

It is time for the truth to be shed concerning this breach of process and power in Maine, for a scam and greed of a flawed energy scheme and its perpetrators, designed poorly and initiated illegally.

Report abuse
On 10/10/09 at 9:05 PM, rockstars wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

iN ORDER FOR WIND FARMS TO WORK..THEY MUST HAVE 25 MILE PER HOUR WIND. wHEN YOU ARE IN YOUR CAR GOING 25 MPH STICK YOUR HAND OUT. hOW OFTEN DO YOU FEEL THAT KIND OF WIND? PEAK HOURS FOR ENERGY CONSUMPTION ARE IN THE EVENING IN HOT WEATHER. HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU FELT THAT KIND OF WIND IN THE SUMMER? gOOD ILLUSTRATION OF THE WIND FARM SCAM AND THE REASON MAINE CITIZENS HAVE NEVER HAD OVER A FEW MINUTES TO SPEAK AT THE SO CALLED HEARINGS. THE WIND FARM CRIMINALS CAN TALK AS LONG AS THEY WANT.

SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS EXCEPT FOR THE BEGINNING OF SOME SENTENCES. cAN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. LOL

Report abuse
On 10/10/09 at 9:14 PM, rockstars wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I HEARD THAT FROM A VIDEO WITH REP. MASSA FROM NY....IN A TOWN HALL MEETING. hE SAID THE 71 MILLION DOLLARS FIRST WIND JUST RECEIVED IS ILLEGAL. IT CAME FROM THE STIMULUS BILL WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO SPUR THE ECONOMY.NO WAY FIXING BROKEN DOWN TURBINES IS STIMULATING THE ECONOMY. THE WIND FARM sTESON MT GOT MILLIONS SPECIFICALLY TO FIX SAID TURBINES. tHE STETSON MT WIND FARM HAS NEVER EVEN GONE ONLINE BUT THEY GET TAX DOLLARS TO FIX SHODDY EQUIPMENT. jUST LIKE THE BANKS...WE PAY FOR DUMB GREEDY FAT CATS TO BECOME EVEN RICHER.

REP MASSA IS FIGHTING THIS INJUSTICE. HE AND THE CONN ATTORNEY GENERAL. VERY SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE US AND ME. THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WITH THE BACK BONE TO STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT.

Report abuse
On 10/12/09 at 9:02 AM, commutah wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

What's wrong with you morons? I think the answer is you really need a life. I saw the Stetson wind turbines over the weekend and they make very little noise, other than a gentle whooshing noise. You protest wind. You protest nukes. You protest river and hydro. You oppose oil-fired power generation. Jeez. Why don't you get a bunch of bicycles with little generators and pedal away. What's with you numb-nuts. How about something positive from your narrow, negative little corner? This is a new technology still in development. Give it time. Are you worried about a wind turbine meltdown and wind polluting the countryside? The flickering light from the blades? Give me a break. Blades hitting birds? Bird have very precise navigation systems. Noise? What a ruse.

Report abuse
On 10/12/09 at 7:12 PM, Sledman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

A couple of notes for my fellow 'morons':

1. First wind is a massachusetts based company, not a Maine based company. Directly from their website: 'First Wind is an independent North American wind energy company focused exclusively on the development, ownership and operation of wind farms'. First wind does not manufacture windmills. Windmills do not create the number of jobs the industry & the guv claims it does.

2. Evergreen is a Delaware based entity with a Massachusetts phone number. Info on Evergreen is obscure, they don't have a functioning website but here's what was found: 'Evergreen Wind Power Iii, Llc is a private company categorized under Energy Management Controls and located in Wilmington, DE. Current estimates show this company has an annual revenue of $81,000 and employs a staff of approximately 1'.

Windmills are without question a money laundering scheme that do nothing but line the pockets of politicians & their chronies funded by of course, the taxpayer.

Hydro is the answer followed by oil & natural gas. The country needs inexpesive energy, windmills are not the answer.

Report abuse
On 10/15/09 at 9:25 AM, M32Tron wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Getum "commutah". I would wager that 99 % (or more) of the complainers do absolutly nothing but complain. Their motives are driven by the give me "perfect" at the start of anything. At least there are some trying to do something other than shoot their mouth off.

Report abuse
You must be logged in to post a comment. click here to log in.

Powered by: Creative Circle Advertising Solutions, Inc.