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Harness the wind Firm eyes county for turbine site

The Brattleboro Reformer|Andy Rosen|January 17, 2006
VermontGeneral

A Massachusetts developer is studying a 4,000 acre site that spans Windham, Grafton and Townshend for a possible wind farm project.


A Massachusetts developer is studying a 4,000 acre site that spans Windham, Grafton and Townshend for a possible wind farm project.

Meadowsend Timberlands Limited, a forestry company that owns the land, has made an "exploratory agreement" with UPC Wind, of Newton, Mass.

While UPC officials are looking at the site, they're also keeping a careful eye on the intense debate brewing here over a proposed wind farm on Glebe Mountain, which is also partly in Windham and Londonderry.

The Glebe Mountain project is set for review by the state this spring.

UPC officials say they're watching its movement closely, but that it won't determine whether they pursue windmills for the Meadowsend property.

"We've kept our distance from the site to see how …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]
A Massachusetts developer is studying a 4,000 acre site that spans Windham, Grafton and Townshend for a possible wind farm project.

Meadowsend Timberlands Limited, a forestry company that owns the land, has made an "exploratory agreement" with UPC Wind, of Newton, Mass.

While UPC officials are looking at the site, they're also keeping a careful eye on the intense debate brewing here over a proposed wind farm on Glebe Mountain, which is also partly in Windham and Londonderry.

The Glebe Mountain project is set for review by the state this spring.

UPC officials say they're watching its movement closely, but that it won't determine whether they pursue windmills for the Meadowsend property.

"We've kept our distance from the site to see how Glebe Mountain progresses," said Tim Caffyn, project manager for UPC.

For now, UPC is focusing its efforts in Sheffield and Sutton where the company is trying to build a 26 turbine, 52-megawatt wind facility that could provide power for up to 20,000 homes. Meadowsend Timberlands also owns a majority of the land where that farm would be built.

Caffyn said he hasn't tested the wind potential on the Windham County site, but he'd like to build a test tower within the next year.

"If the wind proves out, we could do more turbines than in Sheffield," he said, "but that's a big 'if.'"

Caffyn wouldn't give specific terms of the agreement, but said it allows UPC Wind to research the possibilities of building a number of wind power turbines on the property.

The Windham County site is desirable for two major reasons. First, an electrical transmission line runs directly through it. Second, the ridge lines run north to south, which would allow the turbines to harness the prevailing west wind.

Before any project moves forward, Caffyn said he wanted to discuss the plan with the people of the three towns it would affect.

On Monday, the Reformer contacted selectboard members in Grafton
and Windham; none were aware of UPC Wind's interest in the area.

UPC's Sheffield project has been stymied by local debate. In December, 2005, town voters endorsed the project, but this month the Sheffield Selectboard rejected a proposal from UPC. That project, it seems, has inspired just as much public scrutiny in the Northeast Kingdom as the Glebe Mountain proposal has inspired here.

The Glebe Mountain project would put 19 wind turbines on a ridgeline between Windham and Londonderry. The site would produce about 47.5 megawatts of power. It would be developed by Catamount Energy and Marubeni Power International of Japan.

Local people have criticized the Glebe project, saying it would use land that should be protected by Act 250. Moreover, they argue the power that would be generated wouldn't benefit Vermonters -- it would be sold outside the state.

Caffyn, of UPC Wind, said a wind farm on Meadowsend property wouldn't be as visible as those proposed for Glebe Mountain. He said Meadowsend has "rolling ridges," which could obscure views of many of the turbines.

Overall, Caffyn said, new wind power capacity will help the whole region. He said UPC Wind has made an effort to sell its electricity to local utilities.

The Sheffield Wind Farm will option four megawatts to the Washington Electric Co-op, Caffyn said. They're also in talks with the Vermont Electric Co-op and the Burlington Electric Department.

Still, much of the talk about UPC Wind building turbines in Windham County is preliminary.

Caffyn said he won't know if the company is going to proceed with the project until after the test tower is built. It would have to be up for at least a year before enough data can be compiled.

Source:http://www.reformer.com/Stori…

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