Maine Mountain Power plans to submit an application to the state today for approval to build Maine’s first wind energy farm in northern Franklin County.
The company proposes to build 30, 410-foot-tall wind turbines on Redington Pond Range and Black Nubble Mountains, about 4 miles west of Carrabassett Valley.
The project is expected to produce 265-kilowatt hours of electricity a year – enough to power 44,000 homes – and is valued at $130 million, including construction costs, Lee said.
The application package to the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission includes a petition to rezone 1,004 acres in Redington Township from a mountain area protection subdistrict to a planned development subdistrict so the wind power generating facility and utility lines can be built.
Maine Mountain Power is a new joint development venture between Endless Energy Corp. of Yarmouth and Edison Mission Group, a subsidiary of California-based Edison International. The two entities agreed to form Maine Mountain Power to develop and finance the project, Harley Lee, president of Endless Energy, said Friday.
“This is a major milestone for us,” Lee said. “There is still a lot of work ahead but with Edison Mission Group’s expertise and resources, we are one step closer to providing Maine with clean, renewable wind energy.”
Lee said the land use commission application and its supporting studies demonstrate that the project has been designed to fit harmoniously into the natural environment.
Their goal, Lee said, is to ensure that there are no undue effects on existing uses, scenic character, and natural or historic resources in the area.
This project will provide critically needed renewable electricity through Central Maine Power Co.’s existing transmission lines, he said.
Maine Mountain Power also plans to submit a permit application for a utility line in Carrabassett Valley.
Redington Mountain Power, another investment entity in the project, owns 1,004 acres but only 300 acres will be used including roads and utility lines, Lee said. About 123 of the 300 acres will carry two medium voltage power lines – 34,000 volts – that come down from the mountains, one from each mountain, and then connect to a 115,000 volt line in the valley between the two mountains.
The higher voltage line will be 8 miles long and will run to the Central Maine Power Co. grid in Carrabassett Valley.
Lee said they’d sell the electricity to a power marketer that sells the power to commercial, industrial and institutional entities including municipalities, schools, colleges and hospitals. The project has several customers already signed up for power including College of Atlantic, he said.
“I’m very excited. It’s been a very long road but been worth the wait. It’s a very good application,” Lee said.
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