FREEDOM: The town of Freedom continues to work on the question of how to tax three wind turbines built last fall. Before any taxes can be levied, the town must decide how much the development is worth.

In a statement submitted to the town, Beaver Ridge Wind LLC - named for the location of the wind development - declared the cost of the turbines to be $9,765,826, or $2,170 per kilowatt.

BRW said the figure was "in line with the average cost of [five] installed wind projects in New England," as determined by a lab affiliated with the US Department of Energy.

The estimate includes a portion of the power lines erected last year that run between Beaver Ridge and a substation in Thorndike. The rest of the new transmission system is owned by Central Maine Power.

BRW compared the per kilowatt price with that of the 42 megawatt wind farm in Mars Hill, which, according to the letter from BRW, was initially assessed at around $1,500 per kilowatt and is now assessed at $1,456 per kilowatt.

Freedom Selector Carol Richardson said the town sent BRW a declaration of property form on April 23. The form, dubbed "706" for the subsection of the state statute on which it is based, will be used to determine the taxes on the wind development.

Though the form requests nearly the same information as appears in BRW's declaration, Selector Ronald Price said the state recommended sending the form to BRW. The state form makes the declaration more official, he said.

Price said the town sent out 706 forms to several other Freedom companies with large equipment.