Redington Wind Farm Moves Forward

The title of the MaineToday.com editorial (from the Kennebec Journal / Morning Sentinel folks, it appears) on 27 December 2006 says it all. Or most of it, anyway. The title is "Moving Ahead with Wind Power."

The writer opines that the approval by the "state's Land Use Regulation Commission recommended approval of the proposal to rezone 1,000 acres of Redington Pond Range and Black Nubble Mountain to accommodate construction of the towers" on 22 December would be a "diminishment of wildness in one of Maine's wildest places." However, the crisis of climate change calls for drastic, even regrettable, action of significant size. Putting the wind turbines on the ridge in sight of the AT is "a major -- albeit painful -- step in that direction."

I was interested, too, to read here that the turbines "are projected to produce enough electricity to power 40,000 Maine homes." What interested me was that I have previously heard that the electricity generated here would not be used by Mainers but be sold out of state. This report could be slippery-speak as it doesn't say that this electricity will power those 40,000 homes. Even if it will, I'm set to wondering whether those homes will be existing or new. I'd pretty much bet that developers would say, 'Hey, we now have power enough for another 40,000 new homes; let's build!'