Black Nubble Wind Project Defeated

[weary]

A victory for the protection of the trail! Maine's Land Use Regulation Commission this morning rejected for a second time placing 400-foot high wind turbines on Black Nubble Mountain, located about three miles from the Appalachian Trail near Saddleback and Crocker Mountains in Maine.

The proposal had been pending for more than a decade. The primary opponents of the project had been the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, though the Appalachian Mountain Club, local mountain protection groups, and Maine Audubon also joined in the opposition.

The project was first rejected last year when the developer also wanted wind towers on Redington Mountain, located just a mile from the trail. The developer later revised the plans for a Black Nubble only project.

Commission members cited scenic impacts on the Appalachian Trail.

I wasn't at the meeting because my ride cancelled out at the last minute because of a major coastal snow storm, but the proceedings were available over the internet.

MATC raised and spent around $80,000 fighting the project, which would have been visible along many miles of the trail between Saddleback and the Bigelow Preserve.

Technically, the seven LURC commissioners cast two votes. A motion to ask the commission staff to prepare an order approving the project was rejected. Then a motion was offered to ask the staff to prepare an order for rejection and it passed. I couldn't tell what the final margin of rejection was. The chair simply said, "well, that ends this discussion. Let's go to lunch."

Weary

[Sly]

Great. Maybe they can try a potato farm in Aroostook County or non fishing grounds off shore.

[mudhead]

Cape Cod is a prime location.

[neighbor dave]

there's alot of great off trail 'whackin' to be done in that area.
black nubble is a nice summit along with sw black nubble. potato nubble, n. horn, poplar ridge,the redington range.

[JoeHiker]

"scenic impacts"

Translation: "I'm all for clean energy as long as my pretty views aren't disrupted by the horror of something man-made". At that point, screw the environment.

[Sly]

Cape Cod is a prime location.

Yeah, they're working on it but where it's proposed is a fishing ground.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Where should we locate relatively clean alternative energy?

NIMBY

[Sly]

Where should we locate relatively clean alternative energy?

NIMBY

I lived less than a mile from Pilgrim Nuclear Station and had no problem.

[woodsy]

*****! I was hoping to land a job on that project. Now I'll have to drive 20 miles further to work the Kibby windpower(MATC approved) project, dang it all!

[Sly]

*****! I was hoping to land a job on that project. Now I'll have to drive 20 miles further to work the Kibby windpower(MATC approved) project, dang it all!

Woodsy, maybe you can car pool.

[woodsy]

Woodsy, maybe you can car pool.

Yeah, that or saddle up one of them maine swamp donkeys, they come with gas included. I clocked one @ 30 mph in a full gallop running ahead of the rig on a back road. Those long legs are made for covering some serious ground. back to regular scheduled program, windpower defeat.

[mudhead]

"scenic impacts"

Translation: "I'm all for clean energy as long as my pretty views aren't disrupted by the horror of something man-made". At that point, screw the environment.

Last I checked, most of the juice would be headed for MA.

Less streetlights in ME to power up.

I think tidal may be more interesting in the future.

Until then, I keep the stereo unplugged.

[weary]

Where should we locate relatively clean alternative energy?

NIMBY

Maine has more approved wind power projects than all the rest of New England combined. Until a few years ago half of Maine's energy consumption came from alternative energy.

Unfortunately, some proved uneconomic even in this era of expensive oil and were closed for economic reasons. But we still get more of our energy from alternative sources than any other state in the northeast. Possibly more than any state east of the Mississippi. I haven't seen the statistics recently.

Alternative energy is important. But wise people know that you don't have to destroy the last wild places in order to save the world.

Weary

[Sly]

Last I checked, most of the juice would be headed for MA.

I think that's BS. When power hits the grid is goes any number of directions. It's not a trunk line to any one customer.

[mudhead]

The grid is "south" of here, some even comes from New Brunswick.

Wind power is a romantic notion, but a drop in the bucket.

[Sly]

The grid is "south" of here, some even comes from New Brunswick.

Yeah, every state is south (or west) of there but you only mentioned MA. Correct me if I'm wrong but much of ME power comes from Canada.

[dessertrat]

Where should we put it? If it is in an area too remote (such as ANWR) it is "pristine wilderness" and therefore shouldn't be touched. And if it is nearer to civilization, it is nixed because of "scenic impact".

In other words, it's no good if someone can see it, and it's no good if nobody can see it. How about putting a windmill on top of every building in New York City?

[dessertrat]

Maine has more approved wind power projects than all the rest of New England combined. Until a few years ago half of Maine's energy consumption came from alternative energy.

Unfortunately, some proved uneconomic even in this era of expensive oil and were closed for economic reasons. But we still get more of our energy from alternative sources than any other state in the northeast. Possibly more than any state east of the Mississippi. I haven't seen the statistics recently.

Alternative energy is important. But wise people know that you don't have to destroy the last wild places in order to save the world.

Weary

Does alternative include hydro power, which was approved back in the day, but would never be approved today?

[Sly]

Where should we put it? If it is in an area too remote (such as ANWR) it is "pristine wilderness" and therefore shouldn't be touched. And if it is nearer to civilization, it is nixed because of "scenic impact".

I've already mentioned two spots in ME. Aroostook County and off shore.

[weary]

Does alternative include hydro power, which was approved back in the day, but would never be approved today?

The basic environmental protection laws in Maine were passed in the 1970s. Since then scores of hydro projects have been approved. Many are no longer working because the energy costs more than competing sources.

But yes, hydro power is an alternative source of energy. Most of the good hydro sites have been built. Those that remain would damage vast landscapes for minimum energy benefit.

But new hydro turbines are still being installed in Maine. One is pending on the Penobscot River.

But like wind, hydro power is not always necessarily wise. During the 1970 energy crisis an effort was made to dam the St. John River in northern Maine. Some think my stories helped to defeat that project.

Though the politicians trumpeted the project as providing "unlimited cheap energy" I pointed out that the hydroelectric dams would incease New England's supply of electricity by just eight/tenths of one percent and would turn the wildest river east of the Mississippi into a 100,000 acre storage basin with wildly fluctuating shorelines.

Weary