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Maine Ocean Wind Watch.
Maine's Legislature and Executive Branch are in the throes of working their way through a bill LD 1810, implementing the findings of the Offshore Energy Task Force. A stiff resistance by fishermen and sailors to the extensive leasing of state fishing grounds for windfarming may be resulting in a consensus toward keeping state waters wind farm free. But not so the EEZ Except for the University of Maine's Monhegan Test area Legislature's work session held 3/18/10 on Maine ocean wind bill: Listen to speakers FMI Contact Penobscot Bay Watch 207-691-7485 coastwatch@gmail.com MONHEGAN OFFSHORE WIND TEST SITE. On January 25, 2010 the Maine Department of Conservation's Bureau of Parks and Lands was taken to Maine Superior Court by Penobscot Bay citizen advocate Ron Huber for authorizing the University of Maine to occupy a 1280 acre deepwater tract southeast of Monhegan Island to test build three deepwater floating wind turbines: a 100 kilowatt tower, a ten kilowatt one, and a third one. Huber complained irreplaceable scenic and spiritually meaningfuol natural features would be irretrievably harmed by construcvtion and operation of a floating windfarm Litigation Update: Huber v. Dept of Conservation Legal filings. Background: Click Here PHOTOGRAPHS! enjoy Monhegan's scenic views south'ard, while they last. Legislation Update. February 2, 2010 Audio. In this mp3 recording , the Maine Legislature's Utilities & Energy Committee reviews and discusses with Pete Didisheim of NRCM a revised version of LD 1504. Now renamed " An Act to provide predictable economic benefits to Maine communities that host wind power projects", the bill would require communities to negotiate Community Benefit Agreements with utilities that want to move into their backyards, whether the community wants them or not. Representative Van Wie proposes a Wind Production Tax on facilities over over 25 megawatts. Listen to a January 20, 2010 discussion of the bill. Upcoming: LD 168. An Act To Assist in Reviewing Wind Energy Applications Public Hearing, January 28, 2010. 100PM, Room 211 Cross Building, Augusta. Timeline : January 2005 to February 2010 ***Contacts Officials, academics & others involved. Maine Offshore Wind Public Events - Online audio of speakers at Maine Offshore Energy '09 S 11/29/09 , at Energy Ocean 2009 June 15-18 , 2009 and at the 2009 ME Fishermen's Forum Ocean Energy Workshop 3/7/09 Documents:
12/14/09 decision by Maine Bureau of Parks & Lands to designate Monhegan Island site as one of three "Offshore Wind Energy Test Areas" off the Maine coast*** html version and text version 12/ 21/09 Maine Coastal Program releases 87 page Final Report of the Ocean Energy Task Force . (pdf) . See pages 63-68 to see what easing of environmental laws the ocean windpower industry is seeking. . Media Coverage Working Waterfront ** The Free Press *** Maine Public Broadcasting ** Bangor Daily News ** Offshore Wind Wire *** Google News Coverage The Monhegan wind test area lies in deep water near a historic fishing ground: the Monhegan Inner Sou'Sou'west Ground . (As described in "Fishing Grounds of the Gulf of Maine, 1929" See clickable map here. Monhegan is lowest green spot on map. Click floating windmill for latest info on this tech. |