Two years ago, a company started looking into the potential for placing wind turbines along Mt. Harris in Dixmont. Since then, local residents have been talking about what that could mean for them-- and Thursday, the issue comes to a vote. Mt. Harris Wind had plans to build about ten turbines along this ridge in Dixmont, says project partner Andrew Price.

Wind turbines are a permitted use in town, but there's hardly anything on the books to regulate the devices, according to town officials. Article 2, Question 2, on the November referendum would change all that. "People are talking about (wind turbines) so we should have something out there to guide it," said Code Enforcement Officer Jodine Adams, who noted two turbines are already up and running in town. The Wells municipal code minimally addresses wind turbines, she said, but the proposed ordinance would establish a slew of guidelines that aren't yet addressed in town law.

A resident's petition asking the town to approve a 180-day moratorium on wind power development was found sufficient by selectmen Tuesday night. There were 115 valid signatures on the petition. The decision on whether to hold a referendum at the polls or a special town meeting to vote on the issue was tabled until all members of the Board of Selectmen are present. James Parker's petition says that the full impact of wind turbines has not been fully explored.

Residents will have a chance Monday to learn about and ask questions on a proposed moratorium ordinance on potential wind farm development. ...The proposed ordinance was prompted by a tentative proposal by Patriot Renewables LLC of Quincy, Mass., to construct eight to 20 wind turbines along the ridge that includes Colonel Holman Mountain.

By a 3-1 vote at Thursday night's meeting, selectmen decided not to convene a special town meeting to allow residents to vote on a petition-initiated moratorium of 180 days on any development of wind farms on town hills. Their reasoning? Acting Chairman Frank DiConzo and Selectmen Mark Belanger and Robert Cameron all agreed that no emergency exists to warrant slowing the process.

The town is poised to become Maine’s first municipality to enact guidelines aimed at eliminating adverse impacts allegedly caused by industrial wind sites, Town Manager Dale Morris said Wednesday. Intended for First Wind’s $120 million wind-to-energy facility proposed for Oakfield Hills, the guidelines set a post-construction protocol for noise complaints and require post-construction sound monitoring, Morris said. They also require First Wind to fix problems that occur, he said.

The only proposed amendment generating pubic comment, though, was one that would govern wind turbines, which would be allowed at heights of up to 60 feet for residential use and 80 feet for non-residential use. "It would give folks the opportunity to do something (with wind power), but also have constraints," said Board Chairman Kevin Cochary.

A proposed ordinance amendment that would increase height restrictions and allow smaller wind turbines in town will be the subject of a public hearing at Tuesday's meeting of the Planning Board. Draft amendment language would allow "a small wind energy installation" of up to 80 feet, with approval granted by the town's codes enforcement office, Town Planner Kris Hulstedt said Tuesday. Larger installations would be allowed only with a special permit from the Planning Board.

Petitioners have garnered enough signatures to put the issue of a tower to measure wind power on Mollyockett Mountain to a vote at the annual town meeting on Monday, Aug. 10. At a special town meeting on June 24, voters rejected by 5 votes a proposal to authorize the town to spend $11,000 to survey and clear land for the possible siting of the tower. The petition had 56 signatures.

Selectmen decided at Tuesday night's board meeting to wait 60 days from June 23 before rendering their decision on a petition that seeks to rescind previously approved town laws allowing wind power facilities to be built on town ridges. Responding to lawyer Maura Horodyski's question about the petition and the board's response, Chairman Bob Sutton said they agreed to have lawyer Jennifer Kreckel of Rumford review the petition before they decide whether to follow its intent.

For a few tense moments, Monday, it appeared as if Buckfield was going to get a wind farm, ready or not. Kirk Nadeau presented plans to put three wind turbines atop Streaked Mountain, after which the planning board mulled its options, including how to amend and /or draft local ordinances to deal with the development.

Two weeks ago, Jackson selectmen voted to extend a six-month moratorium on issuing permits for industrial wind developments, but the vote was nullified when town officials found that a public hearing on the issue was required. On June 30, the board convened a pro forma public hearing and made the extension official.

The Planning Board voted 5-0 Tuesday night to approve rezoning that would allow anemometer towers to be erected in most areas of Portland. The decision means that plans for two projects, floated earlier this year, will be able to move forward if the City Council endorses the board's recommendation and the Zoning Board of Appeals grants approval.

The Board of Selectmen has decided to extend the town's moratorium on wind-energy projects for another six months. The board granted the 180-day extension Tuesday night after meeting with members of the planning board and the subcommittee that drafted a proposed ordinance governing wind-energy applications. The extension is aimed at giving the planning board the necessary time to review the proposed wind-power ordinance.

The Maine Senate took a lopsided initial vote Monday to deny Carrabassett Valley the right to move forward with a plan to annex Redington Township. Senators voted 29-6 against it, in a reversal of the State and Local Government Committee vote, which approved the measure.

A Lincoln-based property owner's group is appealing a Maine Department of Environmental Protection permit issued for a $130 million industrial wind site on Rollins Mountain in Burlington, Lee, Lincoln and Winn. The Friends of Lincoln Lakes charges in the appeal that DEP officials and project applicant First Wind of Massachusetts failed to fully consider the impact that noise, vibrations and light flicker generated by the 40-turbine wind farm would have on humans and wildlife.

The ruling upheld the findings of Freedom's code enforcement officer Jay Guber, dismissing an appeal by Steve Bennett and two other residents with land abutting the three-turbine Beaver Ridge Wind development. The suit claimed that developers Beaver Ridge Wind had not "substantially commenced" work on the project when a six-month building permit expired Dec. 26, 2007.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection issued First Wind of Massachusetts a permit Tuesday to build a 40-turbine industrial wind site for $130 million on Rollins Mountain in Burlington, Lee, Lincoln and Winn. "The Department finds that the applicant has demonstrated that the proposed project will provide significant tangible benefits to the host community and surrounding area,".

Town Councilor Thora House didn't like fellow Councilor Rod Carr's being accused of ethical misconduct, but that wasn't what changed her vote to award First Wind of Massachusetts a state tax break last week, she said Sunday. ..."I changed my vote for two reasons," House said Sunday. "I opposed it the first time because I believed that Lincoln could have a better deal.