User:WindyMaine/Sugarloaf Community Wind Farm

About
The Sugarloaf Community Wind Farm is a renewable energy project in Western Maine under development by Endless Energy Corporation. It is planned to be between Sugarloaf and Saddleback ski resorts on Redington Pond Range and Black Nubble Mountains.

History
The Sugarloaf Community Wind Farm was derived from the Redington Wind Farm, a previous project proposed by Maine Mountain Power, a joint venture of Endless Energy and Edison Mission Group. In 2007 a permit for this project was denied by the Land Use Regulation Commission although their staff had recommended approval. The developer proposed an alternative project cut down to being only on Black Nubble, which was rejected by LURC a year later.

Public Opinion
There has been some controversy on the possibility of a wind farm on the Redington Mountain area. A survey by the Potholm group in 2006 showed 9:1 state-wide public support for it (with a margin of error of 5%). The same survey found that 74% of dues paying members of environmental groups in the state were also in favor. However, the boards of various Appalachian Trail affiliates have opposed the project due to its proximity to the trail. Maine Audubon has also expressed concerns for the fragile environment of the mountains of western Maine. The Natural Resources Council of Maine opposed the full project, but supported the cut down Black Nubble Version.

Annexation
At a selectmen’s meeting on January 5, 2009, Endless Energy spoke to Carrabassett Valley residents about the possibility of the town to annex the site of the proposed wind farm in the adjacent Redington Township. The town would benefit from the additional property taxes it would receive from the project as well as other benefits of wind farm development such as stable priced power and job creation. The wind farm would benefit from being included in Maine’s expedited wind power permitting zone, as designated by the Governor’s Wind Power Task Force which was put into state law in 2008. The four selectmen unanimously voted in favor of sending a bill into the State legislature.

The annexation bill (SP288)LD741 passed Maine’s Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government 8-3 on May 11, 2009 with the amendment that all of Redington Township be annexed. To become law it requires a positive vote from the Senate and House as well as a majority vote in a Carrabassett Valley referendum. For the wind farm to get permits, it would then have to apply to the Department of Environmental Protection instead of the Land Use Regulation Commission.