Weaver Wind, LLC proposes a 22-turbine, 72.6 MW wind energy facility in the Towns of Eastbrook and Osborn.

Weaver Wind, LLC proposes a 22-turbine, 72.6 MW wind energy facility in the Towns of Eastbrook and Osborn. The applications were accepted as complete on November 13, 2018. Weaver Wind had previously submitted application for a 23-turbine, 75.9 MW facility; that application was withdrawn on August 28, 2015 at Weaver Wind's request. 

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Comment by Long Islander on November 19, 2018 at 11:13am

Weaver Wind, LLC is Longroad Energy, i.e. the crew from First Wind, e.g., Paul Gaynor, Michael Alvarez, Peter Keel, Charlie Spiliotis, Matt Kearns......

https://www.longroadenergy.com/about-us/#team

Comment by Barbara Durkin on November 19, 2018 at 11:10am

Dear Commissioner Clark, 

I have inadvertently omitted information 

that I intended to provide for your consideration regarding First Wind now called Longroad.  
This First Wind bankruptcy filing identifies up to $10 billion in liabilities-

And, this Maine jury verdict that names First Wind-
 
EMEC Wins Verdict (2016)

EASTERN MAINE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE WINS $13.6 MILLION JURY VERDICT

 
On Friday November 18th, a Bangor, Maine jury found, after a four day trial, that five wind power companies breached their contractual obligation to negotiate in good faith, and returned a $13.6 million verdict in favor of Eastern Maine Electric Cooperative (the “Cooperative”). The unanimous verdict against the defendants was reached after about two hours of deliberations.  

 

On Friday November 18th, a Bangor, Maine jury found, after a four day trial, that five wind power companies breached their contractual obligation to negotiate in good faith, and returned a $13.6 million verdict in favor of Eastern Maine Electric Cooperative (the “Cooperative”). The unanimous verdict against the defendants was reached after about two hours of deliberations.”
cut, continue reading-  

‘Superior court justice upholds $13.6M verdict against wind power firms’

APRIL 18, 2017
BY STAFF

Maine Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy on Friday denied motions filed by First Wind Holdings LLC and its four subsidiaries in response to last fall's $13.6 million verdict in favor of the Eastern Maine Electric Cooperative.

In a news release announcing the decision, the cooperative's lead trial lawyer, Sigmund Schutz of the Preti Flaherty LLP law firm, said Murphy "upheld the jury's verdict that the defendants [First Wind] had acted in bad faith."  Cut, continue reading-

http://m.mainebiz.biz/article/20170418/NEWS01/170419946/superior-co...

Thank you, very much, for your time and consideration of these facts that I hope demonstrate to you that First Wind, now Longroad, will not serve the public interest.
Thank You,
Barbara Durkin
Comment by Barbara Durkin on November 19, 2018 at 11:08am

Emailed October 4, 2018

RE: Longroad wind project plans:

https://www.ellsworthamerican.com/maine-news/new-wind-project-propo...

Dear Commissioner Clark,

I cannot fathom why any town, county, province, organized or unorganized territory, would willingly surrender twice to the economic, environmental and social damages rendered by UPC, First Wind, now Longroad, etc., wind developers.  

I sincerely hope that you will widely share this evidence that answers the question, 

“Should public, economic or environmental benefits be reasonably expected to be delivered by any of the aforementioned entities, their LLCs, or assigns, doing business in Eastbrook or Osborn?” 

The answer is that Brian Caffyn founded UPC that changed its name to First Wind.  Brian Caffyn and Oreste Vigorito of IVPC developed and operated: 

“Italian Vento Power Corporation 4 S.r.l. March 15, 2000

via Circumcallazione

83100 Avellino, Italy

Marco Ferrando, Clive Warden (EME representatives)

James Houston, (partners representative) Brain Caffyn, (partners representative) Oreste Vigorito (partners representative) James A. Kelly, (626) 302-2284

To build, own and operate wind power plants in Italy for the purpose of selling electricity at a profit.

Source-

https://www.sce.com/nr/sc3/tm2/pdf/1452-e.pdf

Italian Vento Power Corporation IVPC (partners representative Brian Caffyn) falls under investigation by anti-Mafia Police-

Fox News

May 5, 2009

‘The Mafia May be Going Green' 

"Sicilian prosecutors are cracking down on Cosa Nostra involvement in the numerous small firms that build wind farms on the Mediterranean island, the Financial Times reports.

What's the attraction for organized crime? The best of intentions, of course. The European Union and the Italian government heavily subsidize the construction of alternative-energy facilities, and the operators are guaranteed high rates to maximize their profits.

A few wind farms that broke down because of lousy construction still received subsidies, prosecutor Roberto Scarpinato told the Financial Times.

"This is the amazing thing -- that developers got public money to build wind farms that did not produce electricity," he said.

Furthermore, locally-built wind farms are often bought up by multinational energy firms from other parts of Europe, none of which know the true identities of the original owners.

"A handful of people control the wind sector," said Scarpinato. "Many companies exist, but it is the same people behind them."

Eight arrests have already been made.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.foxnews.com/story/2009/05/05/report-...

Hawaiꞌi  Free Press

Monday, March 28, 2011

Hawaii Wind Developer tied to Largest-ever asset seizure by anti-Mafia police
By Andrew Walden  Maui Politics, Maui News, Oahu News, Oahu Politics, Hawaii State News, Hawaii State Politics, World News, World Politics

 

by Andrew Walden

Paul Gaynor, CEO of First Wind stood comfortably with Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie, Rep Mazie Hirono, and HECO CEO Dick Rosenblum at the grand openingof the Kahuku Wind energy project on Oahu’s North Shore Thursday.   As he should.  

First Wind–formerly known as UPC Wind--got its start in wind energy by launching Italy’s IVPC--a company now subject to a record breaking asset seizure by Italian police.  The Financial Times September 14, 2010 explains:

Italian anti-mafia police have made their largest seizure of assets as part of an investigation into windfarm contracts in Sicily. Officers confiscated property and accounts valued at €1.5bn belonging to a businessman suspected of having links with the mafia.


Roberto Maroni, interior minister, on Tuesday accused the businessman – identified by police as Vito Nicastriand known as the island’s “lord of the winds” – of being close to a fugitive mafia boss, Matteo Messina Denaro.


General Antonio Mirone, of the anti-mafia police, said the seized assets included 43 companies – some with foreign participation and mostly in the solar and windpower sector – as well as about 100 plots of land, villas and warehouses, luxury cars and a catamaran. More than 60 bank accounts were frozen.


Until his arrest last November, Mr Nicastri, based in the inland hill town of Alcamo, was Sicily’s largest developer of windfarms, arranging purchases of land, financing and official permits. Some projects were sold through intermediaries to foreign renewable energy companies attracted to Italy by generous subsidy schemes….
The renewable energy sector is under scrutiny across much of southern Italy. Some windfarms, built with official subsidies, have never functioned….
Mr Nicastri sold most of his windfarm projects to IVPC, a company near Naples run by Oreste Vigorito, also president of Italy’s windpower association. Mr Vigorito was also arrested last November on suspicion of fraud and later released. He denied wrongdoing.

Of course the folks who started IVPC know nothing about any of this.  Reacting to an earlier round of arrests, First Wind founder Brian Caffyn told the November 15, 2009 Boston Herald: “I read about it in the papers, and I was very surprised.”


Will Hawaii’s windfarms actually work?  The “Clipper Liberty” wind turbines installed at Kahuku and on Maui are made by a company founded by a former Director of Enron Wind.  Clipper Liberty Vice President of Engineering is also an Enron Wind veteran. 


Gaynor and Caffyn were once much more public about their corporate ties to Vigorito’s IVPC.  First Wind was originally known as UPC.  The UPC Solar website touts “Mr. Caffyn personally oversaw the establishment and construction of the largest wind energy company in Italy — Italian Vento Power Corporation.”


IVPC’s english-language website states:  “The Group came to light in 1993 from an idea of Oreste Vigorito who formed the company I.V.P.C. S.r.l. on behalf of UPC, an American company which operates in the wind sector in California.”  (Emphasis added.)


The UPC Solar website explains: “UPC’s earliest wind farm developments were built in 1995 in Italy. At the time UPC sold IVPC, its Italian wind business, in 2005, it had built approximately 650MW of capacity representing over 50% of the total installed Italian wind capacity.” 


The Worcester Polytechnic Institute News Summer, 2005 reports on the activities of WPI alumnus Gaynor:  

"...As president and CEO of UPC Wind Management, located in Newton, Mass., Gaynor was tapped to bring the success of the parent company, UPC Group, to North America. In Europe and North Africa, UPC affiliates—including Italian Vento Power Corporation—have raised over $900 million in financing and installed some 900 utility-scale wind turbine generators (WTGs), with a total capacity of more than 635 megawatts. UPC subsidiary companies, positioned across the United States and in Toronto, are currently pursing some 2,000 megawatts in projects from Maine to Maui..."


In March, Gaynor secured financing for a $70 million project on the island of Maui. [The project is a joint venture with Makani Nui Associates, which owns 49 percent.] The 30-megawatt wind farm at Kaheawa Pastures will be Hawaii’s first utility-scale project to be put into service since the 1980s. Plans call for 20 towers, 180 feet tall, with 1.5-megawatt General Electric turbines. Construction is expected to begin this summer, and the project should be completed by the first quarter of 2006. When operational, the wind farm will supply up to 9 percent of demand to customers of Maui Electric Company. 


The Kaheawa Pastures site is situated on state conservation land, between Ma’aleaea and Olowalu, at elevations ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 feet. 

Makani Nui is also a partner in the Kahuku Wind project.
Business Week reports that Caffyn is a Director or Partner in dozens of Limited Liability Corporations tied to wind energy projects.  These include Hawaii’s Kaheawa Wind Power, LLC, Kaheawa Wind Power II, LLC, Hawaii Wind Construction, LLC, and UPC Hawaii Wind O&M.  


Caffyn is also listed as a Director or Partner of Italian Vento Power Corporation (IVPC), Srl, IVPC 4, Srl. (Italian Vento Power Corporation), IVPC 6, Srl, IVPC 2000, Srl., IVPC Energy B.V., IVPC Energy 3 B.V., IVPC Energy 4 B.V., IVPC Energy 5, B.V., IVPC Energy 6, B.V., IVPC Energy 7, B.V., IVPC Gestione, Srl, IVPC Management, Srl, IVPC Management 2, Srl and IVPC Marche, Srl. Mr. Caffyn served as Director or Partner of IVPC Marche 2, Srl., IVPC Puglia, Srl, IVPC Service, Srl, IVPC Service 2, Srl, IVPC Service 3, Srl, IVPC Service 4, Srl, IVPC Service 5, Srl, IVPC Service 6, Srl, IVPC Sicilia, Srl., IVPC Sicilia 2, Srl., IVPC Sicilia 3, Srl., IVPC Sicilia 4, Srl., IVPC Sicilia 5, Srl., IVPC Sicilia 6, Srl., IVPC Umbria, Srl., IVPC Wind, Srl. 

 

The UK Independent September 16, 2010 reports: 

 

After decades of drug-running, extortion and prostitution, the Mafia appears to have found a rather more ecological way of laundering their money: green power. 


And if the assets of the Italian police's latest target are any indication, the Mafia is embracing the renewable energy business with an enthusiasm that would make Al Gore look like a dilettante. The surprising revelation of organised crime's new green streak came as Italian police said yesterday they had made the largest recorded seizure of mob assets – worth €1.5bn (£1.25bn) ($2.1bn US) – from the Mafia-linked Sicilian businessman Vito Nicastri, who had vast holdings in alternative energy concerns, including wind farms.
Organised crime in Italy has previously been notorious for trading in environmental destruction – principally earning billions of euros by illegally dumping toxic waste. But most of the newly seized assets are in the form of land, property and bank accounts in Sicily, the home of Cosa Nostra, and in the neighbouring region of Calabria, the base of the rival 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate.

So naturally, First Wind is very comfortable with Hawaii politicians and business leaders.  
---30---
THE FUTURE: Wind Energy's Ghosts
The list First Wind owned companies (some inactive) registered in Hawaii includes the following:

http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/main/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/articleTy...

SUNEDISON FIRST WIND

Entered into the docket of SunEdison Bankruptcy Filing, the largest in the US during 2016, with $16.1 billion in liabilities, is a statement by lead plaintiff for 1,000 shareholders who condemn First Wind CEO, EVP of SunEdison, as the cause of SunEdison’s failure-

https://cases.primeclerk.com/sunedison/Home-DownloadPDF?id1=NTAyODk...

SunEdison Shareholders Made Stunning Accusations In Court

Dec.14.16 | About: SunEdison, Inc. (SUNEQ

SunEdison ($16.1 billion of debt in Chapter 11) shareholders seek prosecution of First Wind Paul Gaynor for FRAUD

The letters from shareholders vary in purpose and quality, but among their requests are: calls to prosecutePaul Gaynor (former First Wind CEO), Larry Summers (Chief of National Economic Council), Rahm Emanual (former White House Chief of Staff), Steve Scharzman (CEO of Blackstone), and John Podesta (Lobbyist for Renewable Energy) of wide spread collusion, corruption, and fraud; as well as several pleas to reverse the Official Equity Committee denial.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/4030452-sunedison-shareholders-made...

World’s largest renewable energy developer SunEdison has cut hundreds of jobs; faces class action lawsuits on behalf investors; “Boardroom Bloodletting”; and under restraining order issued by the New York court:  

“Judge Ramos issued the TRO a day after Latin America Power shareholders sought an emergency hearing on the grounds that SunEdison “could suddenly and rapidly become insolvent” or move to dissipate assets before the New York court could act on their bid to attach $150 million of assets, court papers say.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/investors-win-restraining-order-against...

SunEdison stock SUNE value plummeted 71.4% within three months following their acquisition of Boston-based First Wind.  First Wind’s former CEO Paul Gaynor has departed SunEdison as EVP Americas & EMEA Region he sold to them for $2.4 billion.    

 

Regulatory Capture, Revolving Doors and First Wind 

NOTES:  

*“Regulatory Capture” is a term attributed to Chicago School of Economics Professor George Joseph Stigler whose theory is that regulators eventually identify with and aspire to join the well-heeled people they regulate.  

An example of “Regulatory Capture” also involves a “Revolving Door” where the Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at First Wind, Kurt Adams, had served as Chairman of the Maine Public Utilities Commission and former Chief Legal Counsel for ME Governor Balducci.  Adams,  according to  Naomi Schalit of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, “…negotiated a pretty sweet deal for himself about a month before leaving the state's employ, with  first-year compensation at the firm totaled $1.3 million, which included $315,000 in salary, $658,000 in stock, $29,000 in "other" compensation and $315,000 in "non-equity compensation." Source:  ‘Revolving door the norm in D.C. but rare in Maine’ by the Editorial Board of the Sun Journal [4/23/10].

^EcoEléctrica to construct an LNG pipeline FERC 2014

 http://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/comm-meet/2014/061914/C-3.pdf

 

First Wind Director is the former MA Executive Secretary of Energy and Environment under the Deval Patrick Administration and the Founding Chairman and BOD of MassCEC, Ian Bowles, who joined First Wind as Director after leaving office.  Former MA energy secretary Ian Bowels became Director at Longroad.  

 

Massachusetts green-regulations Advisor to MA energy chief Bowles, by Governor Deval Patrick’s appointment, was Paul Gaynor CEO of First Wind.  Gaynor also served as MA Co-chair of “The Climate Protection Advisory Committee” under the Global Warming Solutions Act.  First Wind CEO was named co-chair of the Mass Department of Environmental Protection Advisory Committee “Low Carbon Energy Supply Subcommittee.”  Gaynor assisted the energy chief in the creation of state rules that require citizens to purchase and subsidize renewable energy in Gaynor’s marketplace as a renewable energy developer.  The MA energy market was restructured approximately seven times under Bowle’s leadership.    

 

SunEdison’s “executive level job” went to Alicia Barton, Bowle’s successor as former CEO of Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC).  Bowles former MA Executive Secretary of Energy and Environment.  Bowles is Founding Chairman of MassCEC’s with mission is to collect ratepayer surcharges to  fund private-sector renewable schemes. Bowles’ and his green- policy Advisor, were renewable energy entrepreneurs, investors and rule-makers.  

 

As reported by GreenTech Media, SunEdison Executive Vice President Paul Gaynor has fallen  victim to “SunEdison Boardroom Bloodletting”..  

 

GreenTech Media Erci Westoff on January 26, 2016 reports Paul Gaynor has departed SunEdison. 

‘Energy Jobs: SunEdison Boardroom Bloodletting Begins, Plus More CEO Moves’ 

According to UBS, Paul Gaynor (former First Wind CEO) has also departed, although this was not disclosed in the 8K filing. "Given Paul's former role as CEO of First Wind, we continue to perceive growing risk to execution on guided targets, particularly on wind backlog," reported UBS.

 

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Energy-Jobs-SunEdison-Boardroom-Bloodletting-Begins-Plus-More-CEO-Moves

 

Jan 2015

Mottley Fool on February 16, 2016 headline informs: 

 

SunEdison Inc Running Out of Survival Options

Bankruptcy could be around the corner if some court rulings don't go SunEdison Inc's way.

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/02/16/sunedison-inc-running-out-of-survival-options.aspx

 

Hedge fund billionaire Leon Cooperman dropped two of Wall Street's horror show stocks

SunEdison's shares have collapsed more than 80% since July. Omega first initiated a position in the stock back in the fourth quarter of 2013.

 

http://www.businessinsider.com/omega-dumps-valeant-and-sunedison-20...

 

The Wall Street Journal. 

‘Investors Win Restraining Order Against SunEdison’

“Order, related to Latin America Power lawsuit, temporarily restricts unusual moves with assets” 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/investors-win-restraining-order-against-sunedison-1455219775

 

'Why SunEdison (SUNE) Stock Continues to Plummet Today' http://www.thestreet.com/story/13457897/1/why-sunedison-sune-stock-...via @thestreet

http://www.thestreet.com/story/13457897/1/why-sunedison-sune-stock-...

 

  Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP (GPM) filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of investors that "alleges that SunEdison and certain corporate insiders made materially misleading misrepresentations and omissions regarding SunEdison's business practices and operations...":

SUNE, "corporate insiders made materially misleading misrepresentations and omissions", 

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/iegallery

SunEdison Inc Stock Down on “Mounting Liquidity Fears” 

SunEdison Inc. stock (NYSE:SUNE) has been highly volatile over the past six months. It slid down from $31 in July, to as low as $2.36 last week. On Tuesday, the stock fell another 10%. Other solar losers on Tuesday include SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ:SCTY) and Vivint Solar (NYSE:VSLR), with each losing 11.6% and 14.80%, respectively.

SunEdison Inc Stock Down on “Mounting Liquidity Fears” http://www.

 

SunEdison SUNE bought First Wind 1/15 for $2.4 billion making SunEdison "the world's largest renewable energy development company".

 

WHAT HAPPENED?

 

SUNE stock value plummeted 71.4% within three months following the First Wind transaction.  

 

Please protect the interests of your citizens’ and their environment from the “Russian Dolls” (reference used by a SunEdison investor who claims lost all to the many UPC/First Wind LLCs and predators), who have the audacity to attempt to return to Maine. 

Most Respectfully,

Barbara Durkin

Comment by Dan McKay on November 19, 2018 at 10:25am

The PUC RFP docket number :   

Docket No. 2018-00137

Comment by Dan McKay on November 19, 2018 at 10:13am
Can anyone tell me when the Maine Office of Policy and Legal Analysis conducted this study on renewables ?
It is definitely of interest when referenced to the following statements from the PUC RFP for LTC that Weaver Wind has placed a bid ................"  A long-term contract for associated energy can be authorized only if the Commission finds: (1) that the existence of the capacity resource is necessary to fulfill the new renewable capacity resource policy specified in statute, that the long-term contract    for associated energy is necessary for the capacity resource to be constructed or to prevent the capacity resource from being retired, and that the price of the of the associated energy under the long-term contract is expected to be no higher than market prices over the term of the contract; or (2) that the associated energy can be used to supply standard offer service, lower the cost of standard offer service, or lower the cost of electricity for ratepayers in Maine, and that the price for the associated energy under the long-term contract is significantly likely to be below the expected market value of the energy, or, in combination with the capacity, is significantly likely to be below the expected market value of the capacity and energy, over the term of the contract. "
Comment by Dan McKay on November 19, 2018 at 8:53am
Weaver Wind bids for PPA

U.S. Sen Angus King

THE UNTOLD STORY OF RECORD HILL WIND

The Untold Story of Record Hill Wind, continued

 

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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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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