Ding! Round two.

Hearings begin today at Sugarloaf USA, in Carrabassett Valley, on Maine Mountain Power’s renewed renewable energy plan for Black Nubble Mountain. MMP, rejected by the Maine Land Use Regulatory Commission last year, now wishes to build 30 turbines on Black Nubble alone.

The Redington Pond Range, a key part of MMP’s first proposal, is dropped from consideration, a concession brokered by the Natural Resources Council of Maine, which now supports the project.

Other environmental groups like Maine Audubon, however, still vehemently disagree with it.

Controversy is blowing across LURC too, as opponents are trying to paint Commissioner Steve Wight, of Newry, with a coat of bias and make him recuse himself. Wight was the lone commissioner to support MMP last year.

Allegations of bias are also being lodged at LURC staff, which recommended approval of MMP’s plan last year. If this isn’t the definition of an advocate, then dictionaries need editing. It’s hard to argue for removing those who have supported the project – Wight and LURC staff – on grounds they support the project.

So Black Nubble, it appears, is about everything but the wind.

Although MMP deserved an expedited review of a new proposal, which it received, this timeline could work against it. A concern about the first project – suitability of other sites, versus Black Nubble – still hasn’t been resolved. The state’s wind power task force has only barely convened.

Even environmentalists disagree. The NRCM, for example, looks askance at groups like Maine Audubon, and wonders how it can support TransCanada’s 44-turbine project in the Kibby Range, but object to Black Nubble.

“We do not understand how these groups can reconcile their opposition to Black Nubble with their endorsement of the Kibby Wind Farm…which would have significantly greater site impacts than would Black Nubble,” said the NRCM’s Pete Didisheim, in prepared testimony for this week’s hearings.

It is confusing. Consensus opinions only exist with the developer. Environmentalists are split, scientists are split, and the public is split, largely between wanting alternative energy, but not wanting to see, hear, smell or subsidize it.

The smart and balanced task force can clear these skies, but it needs time. Otherwise, siting wind power projects could be decided by precedents set by LURC, in deciding on the various projects before it.

Will its decisions be based on what’s right for Maine? As it now appears, perhaps not, as a comprehensive examination of how wind power can, and should, be developed in Maine isn’t available.

And precedents would give the task force mountains of its own to climb in compiling one.

This makes a moratorium on wind power, until the task force can report, seem a fine idea, if developers, environmentalists and other interested parties can agree to a mutual delay.

A tall-as-a-wind-turbine order, for sure, but better than outright rejection (again) or divisive acceptance.

And it would be nice to see all these sides agree on something.