Great news! I love to hear about inovations in technology that can succeed in Maine and provide jobs now and in the future. Let us just hope that the out-of-state tree-huggers don't come in and slap an injunction against construction for fear that a seagull might lose a feather. Last time I checked there was no shortage of gulls in Maine. If one has to die to light up my Christmas tree, let me be the first to pull the switch.

Puffin choppers

One low wage worker per 10 to 12 turbines. Is that what you call jobs? Two bio mass power plants seem to be closed in ME due to politics to make way for wind industry. Oddly enough, they both supplied jobs to woodsmen. This is called propaganda.

Fort Fairfiled (upper state ME)had to sell because Iso New England could buy cheaper from Canada. Bio mass

Indeck had to sell because Iso New England did not pay agreed upon price. New owners did not know about the "grid problems" and they only have an answering machine there now. No returned calls. Could be open ...

The grid problems are that the New England Grid is at capacity. None of these delightful innovations can work unless we have the 1.4 billion dollars worth of transmission lines gov baldaci so desperately is pushing. So along with four story high turbines all over every hill and dale..there will be enormous power lines to transmit the spurts of power the wind farms produce. The wind has to be 25MPH to make power. Put your hand out the window when you are in your vehicle. ...at 25MPH. How often does the wind blow like that? THAT is what the windfarms and transmission lines are for? Would you want your power to depend on that?

The Mafia is heavily involved with the wind industry. See Sunday's Boston Herald:

Ex-partner of Boston wind exec charged

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/59fe9474-cf2b-11de-8a4b-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

That URL was to a similar Mafia wind farm story in the Financial Times.

Here's the one that ran in the Boston Herald.

http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1212055

no name - you're still spreading misinformation. The bids in response to the MPS service territory RFP for 2 years of standard offer power were awarded to the lowest bidder - NB Power. Integrys was the previous standard offer supplier, and they were beaten out by 0.3 cents per KWh by the NB Power offer. The Boralex biomass plant in Fort Fairfield was almost closed, and the plant in Sherman has been closed, because there is now NO MARKET for their power. They supplied the power for Integrys, who lost the bid. Fort Fairfield stayed open only because NB Power struck a deal and is buying their output, keeping the jobs intact for now.

This situation has NOTHING to do with the wind industry, other than to say, had the wind industry's MPC line been built to Haynesville, there would be a pathway for Boralex to reach the rest of New England. Wind turbines begin spinning at about 3 mph wind speed and beging producing, depending on the model at about 8 mph - not the 25 mph you quote.

The wind industry also hires about 1 worker per 4-5 turbines at an average wage of around $20/hour plus benefits and overtime. If you consider that "low wage" - ask your neighbors who are out of work if they would like an almost-guaranteed 25-year long job as long as they do their job.

The transmission upgrade known as MPRP is a solution for grid reliability issues - not for WIND. There is power congestion near Orrington, and in a few other spots, because the grid was not planned as it was built. It is a patchwork of old lines and infrastructure that is 20-years out-of-date and subject to stability issues daily. The MPRP is needed whether or not another generator of ANY kind is added to the grid. The grid is at capacity, because we do not have enough spare generation in New England to meet projected demand - and we ALWAYS do things after they become a crisis in this region.

Same story with Verizon's landlines and Fairpoint - they were sold a turkey of a network - the oldest system in America, and the hardest to maintain. That's why Verizon SOLD IT!!!

Sweet...do a little research about these guys..sound like they really care about the livelihood of Maine, green energy, and promoting energy independence...not

WINDFUTURE - "The wind industry also hires about 1 worker per 4-5 turbines". Not true. It's more like about 1 worker for every 15-20 turbines. And First Wind, who you work for, has some of these workers monitoring Stetson and Mars Hill remotely from CALIFORNIA. But you know this. Go climb a shaft.

Jaygee...did not know that.

If there is a fire at one of these turbines , do you think the workers monitoring from California can get a call through to the volunteer fire dept.?

First Wind gave $5,000.00 to the Mars Hill fire dept. for allowing them to build a wind farm there.

The area around Stetson, unorganized territory got nothing. LURC commission members, who are supposed to protect unorganized territory , just grinned and grinned during the hearings for the wind farm in LEE. Nobody asked for anything for unorganized territory. NO INSURANCE COMPANY WILL INSURE TURBINES THEY ARE SUCH A FIRE HAZARD. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF MILES OF FORESTS AROUND STETSON MT WINDFARM.

LURC , DEP , the AG office and gov.'s office do not care for this state whatsoever.

The wind power proposals for our mountains are a giant farce. It should be a crime that the state is promoting wind farms on up to 300 miles of our most beautiful mountain tops, not to mention the power lines necessary. LURC worries about what color someone uses on their roof and then give permits for giant wind mills that we do not need(each one has a large blinking red light on it). The Greenville biomass power plant is closed and many people are laid off. What is the real deal here? It sounds corrupt to me. Follow the money ..just like Watergate, then you will find the real environmental criminals here.

Maybe the off shore wind farms are a better idea then ruining many of our beautiful mountains?

The Fairfield bio mass plant was also sold. Indeck seems to be closed. I called and only got an answering machine. No returned call. Also bio mass.

One of the charges brought by the NY Attorney General against First Wind is bribery of public officials. Follow the money. We need the justice dept. to investigate the gov.'s office, the AG office, DEP and LURC. Every single member or office holder who has made decisions on wind farms should have their finances gone over for the last five years.

This story makes Ilinois and pay to play look like kindegarten.