PORTLAND (AP) – A $10-million small-scale wind power project is being proposed in the town of Freedom that would generate enough electricity to power 2,000 Maine households.

Competitive Energy Services LLC of Portland has submitted an application to construct three wind turbines on Beaver Ridge, each with a capacity of about 1.5 megawatts.

The three 250-foot-tall towers would have blades 140 feet across, meaning the structures would reach nearly 400 feet in the air. Lighted at night and located on a ridge roughly 1,000 feet above sea level, the towers would be visible from many points in Freedom, a rural community of 750 midway between Waterville and Belfast.

Town officials plan to hold public hearings to get input from residents.

“It’s quite an event for a town our size,” said Steve Bennett, who chairs the town’s Board of Selectmen.

Wind power projects are in the works at a handful of locations in Maine stretching from Aroostook County to the western mountains. None has yet been built, and some are drawing opposition from hikers and conservationists concerned about spoiled views and potential harm to migrating birds.

The Freedom proposal may face fewer hurdles because it’s smaller and apparently needs only town approval rather than state permits.

Richard Silkman, a partner in Competitive Energy Services, said the company has a long-term lease with the owners of the site, Ronald and Susan Price, who own Craneland Farm, a longtime dairy farm. The couple said the wind turbines offer a way to preserve their farmland.

The company has yet to secure turbines or financing and can’t proceed without a permit, but the project could be built next year if the town approves.

Power would be sold to institutional buyers interested in renewable power, including colleges, hospitals and government purchasers.

“Beaver Ridge is an excellent site for a small-scale wind project that will bring many benefits to the residents of Freedom and the state of Maine,” Silkman said.

Competitive Energy Services is a licensed energy provider that helps Maine companies, institutions and organizations buy electricity, natural gas, propane and fuel oil. The Freedom project would represent its first wind energy venture.

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Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com