Compelling testimony and rebuttal of Thomas Hewson before the State of Maine Land Use Regulation Commission on behalf of Friends of the Western Mountains regarding the proposed 90MW industrial wind plant on Reddington Mountain, Maine. Mr. Hewson's testimony and rebuttal should be read in their entirety. A summary of this testimony by Friends of the Western Mountains is provided below and attached as well.

Renewable energy sources have disadvantages as well as advantages, however. Although their costs have decreased in recent years, many renewables are still more costly than traditional sources. Some are also available only intermittently; for example, wind can be variable and hydroelectric is seasonal. And while many people are in favor of renewables in principle, many are also unhappy when faced with the prospect of a windmill or a trash-burning power plant in their neighborhood. These facilities face the same siting and investment difficulties that any electrical facility would, as the developers of a proposed wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod have discovered in recent years.

Wendy Todd of Mars Hill, ME provided this letter to the residents of Byron and Roxbury, ME in hopes the voters of both towns would make informed decisions before agreeing to permit industrial turbines on their ridgelines. This letter is published here with the permission of Wendy Todd.

The purpose of this Ordinance is to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the residents and property owners of Phillips by establishing reasonable and uniform regulations for Wind Energy Facilities (WEFs). The comprehensive setback standards detailed in the ordinance protect against the hazards of a) Falling and Debris Hazard, b) Flicker Hazard, and c) Acoustic Hazard.