The New Hampshire SIte Evaluation Committee (NHSEC) issued this procedural order involving Iberdrola's Groton Wind Energy facility. The controversial Groton Wind project consists of 24 Gamesa G87-2MW (48 MW total) turbines. The project was permitted by the Committee in May 2011 and placed in service December 2012. The order is in response to documented project construction changes made by Iberdrola which deviated from the approved project plans.

Legal New Hampshire

In a decision released earlier this month, Bornstein remanded the matter back to the zoning board to determine whether the amended site plan approved by the planning board violates the spirit and intent of the zoning ordinance. ...In January, the planning board approved amending the site plan to install three 500-foot high turbines. The zoning board also approved amending its variance to allow the three turbines at 500 feet.

Zoning/Planning Legal New Hampshire

In his ruling he wrote: "The court grants the petitioners' request to void the PILOT Agreement ... the Board conducted numerous noticed and unnoticed, non-public meetings while negotiating the PILOT Agreement. These meetings contravened the fundamental purpose of the Right-to-Know law's goal of transparent and open government."

Legal New Hampshire

Antrim Town Administrator Galen Stearns said that the wind developer's attorney drafted the motion for rehearing, and it was sent back and forth several times between Geiger and the town for modifications. ...He added that having Geiger draft the appeal was an attempt to speed up the process. Geiger drafted the PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement that was also signed by the town.

General Legal New Hampshire

NH Superior Court has found that the Town of Antrim was in violation of the State's Right to Know law by conducting numerous unnoticed, non-public meetings to negotiate the PILOT agreement between the Town and Antrim Wind LLC, a company seeking to erect a wind energy facility in the Town. A portion of the ruling is provided below. The full order can be accessed by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

Legal New Hampshire