AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has rejected First Wind’s proposal for a wind farm on Bowers Mountain, citing its harmful impact on the local scenery.

Commissioner Patricia Aho signed off on the decision by DEP staff to deny scaled-down proposal for 16 turbines by Maine’s largest wind energy developer. The Land Use Regulation Commission denied First Winds’ original proposal for 27 turbines in Carroll Plantation, Penobscot County, and Kossuth Township, Washington County.

DEP spokeswoman Jessamine Logan said Tuesday that the revised proposal was rejected because of “scenic impacts.”

Maine is New England’s wind power leader with up to 500 megawatts of capacity. First Winds’ proposal called for turbines producing between 62 megawatts to 48 megawatts of electricity.

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