One item that caught my attention within the Dixmont wind ordinance relates to "scenic or special resource" In addition to addressing scenic resources of state and national significance, it includes areas of local significance as identified in their comprehensive plan. The intent here is to prohibit development ( i.e. wind farms) from these areas. The ordinance also states setback distances to these areas.
One option a town has power to implement is to adopt stricter rules in regards to environmental issues than the state mandates. Rangeley, in it's subdivision rules, restricts phosphorous levels to limits below the DEP requirements. They have the ability to demand a second engineering study to examine phosphorous as well as penalizing developers monetarily if they can not meet the limits.
Byron's ordinance, with zoning laws prohibiting wind farms above a certain elevation, states many times it's right to protect these areas because of their value as scenic and recreational resources.
I urge everyone seeing a wind farm in their future to read their town's comprehensive plan. Our plan in Dixfield states very clearly that the very mountain proposed for a wind farm is a " unique and special scenic view" and altering this area would " alter community character "
It's the " quality of place " which has been promoted for many years by our governments in Maine that has lead to many comprehensive plans urging protection of local scenic resources as they provide current and future valuable assets to a town.

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

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(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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