Yesterday, the Land Use Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny NextEra's request to expand the expedited wind area by 25000 acres to accommodate their proposed industrial wind farms (Moose and Alder Stream Wind) in western Somerset and Franklin counties. The denial is a huge setback for NextEra's bid for a 20 year renewable energy contract with MA as part of their MA Clean Energy RFP. NextEra will have to go through the legislature to get the EWA expansion. Given the solid opposition to the projects by the Somerset and  Piscataquis County Commissioners and the regional legislative delegation (Sen. Davis, Rep.Sterans, Rep. Stetkis, Rep. Grignon) it may not be an easy time for the developer in Augusta.  

The denial also puts a huge hole in CMP's bid to MA for the Maine Clean Power Connection transmission corridor. Without NextEra's output, the line would face difficult economics and most likely kill their hopes of being selected in the MA RFP process. 

Resistance to these projects has ramifications throughout the region. The Moosehead Region Futures Committee (MRFC) along with the county commissioners and legislative delegation has proven to be an effective deterrent to the steamrolling wind industry and their cohorts. Opposition to NRG's Somerset Wind project on the western side of Moosehead is continuing to fight the fight and demonstrating positive results in consolidating local opposition to the project. In addition, MRFC has stepped forward on CMP's NECEC transmission corridor with their request for public hearings. MRFC has been joined by NRCM, Sierra Club and the Maine Appalachian Trail Club in the DEP permit review process. The decision as to whether to intervene is in the works with both groups.

So opposition to industrial wind in Maine is alive and successfully pushing back the industry and their many friends in Augusta. With 3500 megawatts in the queue for Maine wind development at ISO New England, we still have a great deal of work to do. But yesterday was a win for the bad actors (according to Patrick Woodcock). Let's build on this win and renew our commitment to fighting the scourge of industrial wind in Maine. Merry Christmas!!!

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Comment by John F. Hussey on December 22, 2017 at 3:52pm

Here is an ongoing list of wind turbine failures going back to 2005:  http://www.windaction.org/posts?p=2&topic=Structural+Failure&am... 

FUN READ!

Comment by arthur qwenk on December 21, 2017 at 10:07am

The more the public is educated concerning the wind scam, the more they hate it.

Wind Power, one of the greatest scams perpetrated on the american public in this century.

Comment by alice mckay barnett on December 21, 2017 at 8:50am

Awesome,   thank you for staying in the fight.   Now, back to Milton Township and LUPC's up holding of BIG WIND.

Comment by Eric A. Tuttle on December 21, 2017 at 8:37am

It is about time that someone acted with common sense to attempt to protect Maine, its Mountains, ridgelines, viewsheds and Unorganized territories who depend on Tourism as a livelihood. With all power requests seemingly coming from MA it becomes more apparent that MA is fiercely trying to reunite Maine as its Plantation as a state.

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Comment by Richard McDonald/Saving Maine on December 20, 2017 at 8:20pm

The win @ LUPC was truly about our regulatory system doing their job and protecting our natural resources - something all of us have been calling for a long time. I applaud all who made an effort to support their good work on this issue.

Comment by Eskutassis on December 20, 2017 at 5:49pm

Richard, I didn't mean in any way that this was NOT a victory and you and Nancy and your group are to be commended. I only know what a bunch of connivers these charlatans are and how they work. We still have to remain vigilant.  

Comment by Richard McDonald/Saving Maine on December 20, 2017 at 5:38pm

No ones waving a victory flag here, but this was a very positive development in the long march to defeat industrial wind in Maine.

Comment by Eskutassis on December 20, 2017 at 5:36pm

I hope we can all take a deep breath and kiss Massachusetts and their ridiculous plan to use our wilderness as their industrial land goodbye! No wind turbines, no transmission lines, no useless roads that only wash out. But let's not raise the victory flag too soon. These sneaky bastards have a way of paying off some legislators or promising the moon to the bloodsuckers that thrive on wind and solar.

Comment by Richard McDonald/Saving Maine on December 20, 2017 at 5:35pm

If they go to the legislature/EUT Committee, I've been assured they're bill won't make it out of the  Committee.

Comment by John F. Hussey on December 20, 2017 at 5:07pm

The parting shot from one of the Commissioners to the lawyer for NexEra, "You're wasting our time"! PRICELESS!

 

Maine as Third World Country:

CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power

 

Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.

Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT

******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********

(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/

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We have the facts on our side. We have the truth on our side. All we need now is YOU.

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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law

Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future

"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."

https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/

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