Industrial wind turbines stir up call for moratorium in Whiting

A potential commercial wind turbine project by Kean Energy LLC of Maine for the Yellow Birch Mountain area of Whiting was the subject of a public hearing on the evening of October 19. About 40 people came to the Whiting planning board's hearing on an industrial wind turbine project development moratorium ordinance.

In a separate interview, Kirk Nadeau, president of Kean Energy, says, "We weren't aware of the meeting until that morning." He regrets that neither he nor Vice President Peter Whitney had been able to attend so that they could answer any questions.

Cindy Morrison, a resident of Yellow Birch Mountain, gave a brief history and rationale for the moratorium. She says that residents were approached by Kean Energy with a project that might have three industrial turbines on a three-acre footprint within a larger 20-acre plot. The location, she noted, has not been determined. "It's important to have the moratorium to ensure everyone's needs are met." Currently Whiting does not have a commercial wind turbine ordinance. The state, Morrison noted, has just put a model commercial wind turbine ordinance on its website. Nadeau says this is the ordinance that the Vinalhaven commercial wind turbine project is using.

Citizens at the hearing expressed varying degrees of support or concern regarding the moratorium. "Are we putting the cart before the horse?" one man asked the crowd. "Why put a moratorium before we have the information we need?" He cited the lack of information about the project.

Nadeau says of the project, "We're looking at the area and if it would be suitable for one of our developments. But we haven't identified our project yet, so we wouldn't be able to answer questions about the specific project."

"The answer is not saying no to wind power," said Alan Furth at the hearing. "The moratorium doesn't stop the educational process, just gives us the breathing room. It allows us to work together for the best plan possible."

Nadeau says that an ordinance would give "us a set of guidelines to work with. It helps us right from the get go."

Steve Bennett, a resident of Freedom, where the company Competitive Energy Services LLC began the process in 2006 to install a commercial wind turbine project, submitted public comments in July 2007 to the Maine Wind Power Task Force about the difficulties abutters and the town itself underwent with such a project. "The debate in Freedom this past year was and still is about process, and whether a small town is able and prepared to gather the information necessary to make an informed decision about an issue as complex as this, and the importance of having planning tools like ordinances to facilitate a fair process." Freedom did not have a comprehensive plan to guide decision-making around a subject that was not governed by an ordinance.

Morrison is particularly concerned with large turbines being located too close to residential areas. "They can cause health problems." She noted a low density sound, shadow flickers and ice-fling that can travel as far as 3,000 feet. "They should be one to three miles in distance from residences. As a community we need to look at setbacks."

Whiting's code enforcement officer, Jim Bradley, and the planning board president, George Townsend, explained that the moratorium will be voted on by the town at a special town meeting. When asked by resident Ken Smith what would happen if the ordinance didn't pass at the town vote, Townsend remarked that an ordinance could still be put together. "It seems like people here would like to figure this out," said Marge Peacock.

Bradley suggested, "We'll get some model ordinances and form an industrial turbine committee to look at state regs. There's an industrial turbine ordinance already written. We need to try to figure out what we want and what we don't want and try to learn from the mistakes that other towns have made." Bradley also noted that Whiting has a comprehensive plan that is an important tool for the town. "The planning board can say no to an application if it believes that the application is inconsistent with the comprehensive plan."

Nadeau expressed the hope that Kean Energy LLC would be notified of the date for the special town meeting for the vote on the moratorium. "We'd like to be at the special town meeting. We like to be able to answer any questions."

The company's website, <www.keanenergy.com>, lists two projects under development: Streaked Mountain wind power and Jonesport wind power. "Our projects are intended to be Maine-owned," says Nadeau.

On October 21 the selectmen set the date for the special town meeting for vote on the industrial wind turbine development moratorium for Monday, November 9, at 7 p.m. at the Whiting Community Building.