Maine Wind Farm plan revisited

[Papa Bear]

I was in Maine this week and read this article in the Aug. 31 issue. Bangor Daily News article

It seems there was an approved plan for a wind farm in the Kibby/Caribou area north of Stratton which fell through when the company went bankrupt.

A new company is petitioning to take over the wind rights. These mountains are north of Chain-of-Ponds Snow and the prospective farm would probably be visible from that peak as well as Boundary peak (both NE HH peaks). There's an outside chance you might be able to see it from Coburn or Boundary Bald near Jackman, and on a clear day maybe from the Bigelows (but that would be a stretch, IMHO). Kibby has an easy trail and a lookout tower, and Caribou is a bushwhack mostly of interest to 3k baggers.

If there's anywhere in western Maine suitable for this, it's probably this area.

 

[dms]

PB, the Beaudry Road peaks are not classically beautiful mountains, but they do provide a sense of remoteness. I have been going out there since 1988 hiking these peaks, and the thought of dozens of 300+ foot structures, plus the other construction they will bring saddens me. You are, though, probably right that if they are going to be built, this is better than the Redington Range. However, you will be able to see them from the Bigelow Range and other points east, because most of them will be built on the Kibby Range, and there are no higher mountains to the east to block the view of them.

 

[Papa Bear]

Yeah, it is a remote area. When I was on Kibby I couldn't see the Bigelows but I'm sure you might on a real clear day.

But I know we need alternative clean energy. Not an easy trade off.

Guess I'll have to climb all 23 Beaudry 3ks before they build the towers.

 

[Mad Townie]

Whatever the view, it's better than building a coal or oil fired power plant in Gorham!

 

[blueridge]

Amen Mad T.

It's a shame that a clean energy resource is viewed as a nuisance.

I would rather look at a wind farm on my favorite mountain than breath in carbon-monoxide and cancer causing combustion particles while hiking on my favorite mountain.

 

[forestgnome]

Oh boy...

The windfarm company went broke. Does that mean nothing? Any honest look at wind farms should stop support in its' tracks. The trade-off of losing beautiful ridgeline to towers for a pittance of so-called "clean" energy is crazy.

We use more energy than we produce. Therefore, if we produce a tiny bit more with a windfarm, we'll just use it. The idea that producing a little energy from a windfarm will result in less energy being produced elsewhere is a pipedream. The permanent loss of yet another beautiful place would be real, and done with the support of nature-lovers.

 

[WCTDave]

I think you have the wrong attitude. Time and time again our society rejects alternative, clean energy as too costly, not cost effective...basically a
'nuisance". This attitude is leading us one step at a time down the road of fossil fuel dependency and acceptance. We will NEVER be oil independent until be find energy sources to replace them and utilize these sources even if it means taking one baby step at a time. I support the wind farm...especially considering nothing about it is fundamentally permanent. Just my take...

 

[blueridge]

We use more energy than we produce.

We may have to ask Sir Newton, but I'm sure it is against some law of thermodynamics to use energy MORE energy than is produced.

 

[dms]

"Wind Farm", perfect corporate speak. Sounds bucolic doesn't it. Well, what this company is talking about is building 200 wind turbines, each over 300 feet tall. A use of this magnitude will require a huge amount of construction, including roads and related infrastructure, probably being done over a period of several years, in what is now a remote and undeveloped area. I assume that these issues will be fully discussed and reviewed by the State of ME before any construction is allowed.

 

[forestgnome]

We may have to ask Sir Newton, but I'm sure it is against some law of thermodynamics to use energy MORE energy than is produced.

OK...I should say we 'demand' more than we produce/import.

So, again, we'll destroy the beautiful forested ridges by allowing an energy corporation to construct towers, which will produce a small amount of energy that will be gobbled up, barely noticed. The idea that this will result in less energy being produced elsewhere is still fantasy and utterly unrealistic. The towers will be real and immediate.

They aren't making anymore forests. I want to conserve what's left.

 

[Jasonst]

We may have to ask Sir Newton, but I'm sure it is against some law of thermodynamics to use energy MORE energy than is produced.

Whether we use more than we produce is true or not, I am not sure but I do know that we buy a LOT of power from hydro Quebec. One way around your claim on Newtons theory...

 

[cp2000]

Im all for alt. energy but something just got me thinking. What kind of effect will the wind mills have on birds that may fly into them

 

[MichaelJ]

These don't turn that fast - they're not spinning like fans or like the small windmills on the AMC huts. Keep in mind the blades are 35m long. I know at one point in the past I read about the effect on birds and it was not significant - the structures and rotation are obvious enough for them to easily avoid them.

I like the idea of these being far enough north to not be of consequence to the recreational wilderness areas (as opposed to the proposal for atop Redington), though ripping off a ridge top is always something not to be done lightly.

Anyone know why the original company went out of business?

 

[Tim Seaver]

Hot Air

Denmark gets 20% of all their energy from windmills: 3,000 megawatts - hardly a "pittance". The US, with much more land and coastline available for wind power, is currently cranking our a paltry 7,000 megawatts from wind. Europe is leading the world at 35,000 megawatts. Germany has a prototype that stands 600 feet high and cranks out 5,000 megawatts -the equivalent of 5 large coal-powered plants.

Wind power is there for the taking, but I don't think much will happen in that direction until gas is over $5 a gallon. Give it a few weeks

 

[RGF1]

Denmark gets 20% of all their energy from windmills: 3,000 megawatts - hardly a "pittance". The US, with much more land and coastline available for wind power, is currently cranking our a paltry 7,000 megawatts from wind. Europe is leading the world at 35,000 megawatts. Germany has a prototype that stands 600 feet high and cranks out 5,000 megawatts -the equivalent of 5 large coal-powered plants.

Wind power is there for the taking, but I don't think much will happen in that direction until gas is over $5 a gallon. Give it a few weeks

Tim I sell cord wood and can barely keep up with demand. people are not at all comfortable with the ernergy markest and expect with good reason prices to go up even more. I suspect they will sky rockect in the coming months . You are right once gas hits at or near $ 5 .00 a gallon though my guess is a bit lower. Wind power and other sources of engergy are going to start looking alot more attractive. Certainly where we put a "Wind farm"
Solar collectors both passive and active. are important questions
In the end it is our ever increasing demand for energy that is is driving all ot thease issues. along with our near total depandance on fossil fuels and oil in particualar that will have us either in a serious economic problem or we start looking for other saources of energy.
Why is the not more emphisis on conservation and efficency ?
Eventaully we are going tot have to find new sources of energy and the rapidly increasing oil prices might just force our hand or as I stated earlier face serious economic problems. as the cost of fuel goes up so will the cost of every thing else. Just a few things to ponder.

 

[forestgnome]

Denmark gets 20% of all their energy from windmills: 3,000 megawatts - hardly a "pittance". The US, with much more land and coastline available for wind power, is currently cranking our a paltry 7,000 megawatts from wind. Europe is leading the world at 35,000 megawatts.

Denmark? How much unspoiled wilderness do they have in Denmark? And how many unspoiled mountains and ridgelines would we have left if we constructed enough wind farms to produce 20% of our energy needs?

Europe may lead the world in wind power, but they don't quite lead anyone in quantity of unspoiled land, or even in air quality. Following Europe in environmental protection, and protection of forests, would be going backward.

Put the windfarms on the coastline. Just leave alone what is left of our prescious unspoiled forests.

 

[amstony]

"Wind Farm", perfect corporate speak. Sounds bucolic doesn't it. Well, what this company is talking about is building 200 wind turbines, each over 300 feet tall. A use of this magnitude will require a huge amount of construction, including roads and related infrastructure, probably being done over a period of several years, in what is now a remote and undeveloped area. I assume that these issues will be fully discussed and reviewed by the State of ME before any construction is allowed.

The correct term for this is Wind Factory or Wind Power Plant. Wind Farm is a corporate purposeful misnomer that conjures up images of the midwest or a nice farm with farm animals. Just look at the development that would be needed up in Reddington for the proposed wind power project- 9 miles in and roughly 2000 +- feet elevation gain.

You have to put in ALL the infrastructure for a power plant to process and transmit the energy to wherever it needs to go. Then there is all the development and employees required to operate and maintain the wind turbines, wires, roads, etc etc. Imagine the snow removal cost. Are you going to put the transmission wires underground or above ground, the list goes on.......

Plus where will the employees live.....not allot of apartments and houses up that way, at least right now!

And it will do little, basically, to reduce the price of gas.

 

[g o]

maine is already a net exporter of energy into the new england power grid thanks to our hydro power, which btw is clean/green power.

so why should we have to ruin our backcountry areas to provide yet more power for southern new england? (that should get a response!)

to be clear, we are not agianst the technology, but we are against industrial developments in undeveloped backcountry areas when there are other options.

 

[Tim Seaver]

Denmark? How much unspoiled wilderness do they have in Denmark?

The reason I mentioned that country is not because of their vast wilderness areas - it was to illustrate that the amount of energy that can be harvested from the wind is anything but a "pittance", which was your original contention.

 

[dms]

Not only does the Kibby Range get the towers, there is the matter of 28 miles of transmission lines to tie into the existing ME power grid. I am not sure of the route these lines would take, but they sure as heck won't be underground.