First Wind proposes 62-turbine wind farm
First Wind, the Boston-based wind energy developer, has proposed building a 62-turbine wind farm in the western Maine communities of Bingham, Mayfield Township and Kingsbury Plantation. If approved and built to its full capacity, the 186-megawatt wind farm would become the largest in New England.
MPBN reported that First Wind has filed an application with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. The proposal also will need approval on the local level and by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The project is expected to generate enough electricity to power 87,000 homes, according to MPBN.
First Wind, which has developed and operates 980MW of generating capacity at 16 wind energy projects in Maine, New York, Vermont, Utah, Washington and Hawaii, needs state approval by the end of December in order to qualify for a 30% federal tax credit.
MPBN reported that Friends of Maine's Mountains has questioned whether the proposed wind farm would harm the quality of place in the region. A First Wind spokesman countered by saying the company's extensive pre-application studies indicate the project won't harm the surrounding environment.
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