First Wind signs wind power agreement
First Wind, Maine's largest wind power developer, has reached an agreement to sell all energy from its Mars Hill wind farm to New Brunswick Power.
The Massachusetts-based developer on Wednesday announced a four-year power purchase agreement with the Canadian utility, according to a press release. The energy generated by the Mars Hill wind farm will be distributed to businesses and homes in northern Maine by New Brunswick Power, the current standard-offer service supplier in the region. The agreement replaces a previous one with New Brunswick Power that expires at the end of this year. That agreement requires New Brunswick Power to sell the power to ISO-New England, which distributes it through the New England grid. Aroostook County is not connected to that grid.
Michael Alvarez, First Wind's president and CEO, said in the release that the new agreement keeps the wind power local and will reduce energy prices for northern Maine customers. In January, the Maine Public Utilities Commission approved new standard-offer electricity rates for customers in Maine Public Service Co.'s territory that were a 15%-21% reduction for businesses and consumers. "Northern Maine consumers have seen their electric bills go down, and locally-produced wind power is one of the energy sources being used," Alvarez said.
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