Passamaquoddy Tribe plans $120M wind farm in Washington County (Maine)

[jpak]

http://bangordailynews.com/2012/01/26/business/passamaquoddy-tribe-plans-120m-wind-farm-in-washington-county/

COLUMBIA FALLS, Maine — The Passamaquoddy Tribe of Indian Township and Pleasant Point has partnered with a Midwest energy firm to launch a $120 million wind farm in Washington County. The developers estimate the project will create 50-100 jobs during the construction phase and 15-20 permanent positions once the farm is built, with more jobs anticipated from spinoff development in the future.

The farm would be located in Unorganized Territory at a decommissioned U.S. Air Force radar site nearly ten miles north of Columbia Falls amid a web of dirt roads, blueberry barrens and cranberry bogs.

The tribe already owns 1,060 acres of blueberry barrens adjacent to the 1,000 acres that the U.S. General Services Administration is offering for sale. Per U.S. law, the tribe will get partial preference on the acquisition, John Richardson, founder of Native Power LLC, said this week.

“This project could be transformative for Washington County,” said Richardson, who has been hired to advise the Passamaquoddies on the project. “It will allow the tribe to diversify its economy and allow it to look even further, at other energies such as biomass.

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[Auggie]

1. Great idea

[eShirl]

2. Good. (btw, the best blueberries in the world are from those wild Washington County barrens)

[baldguy]

3. And how many luddites will campaign against it?

Can't have any economic development for one of the poorest states in the union.

[jpak]

6. Our governor will - he's a Dick Cheney clone when it comes to energy issues

yup

[MarianJack]

4. I live in Maine,...

...and Washington County NEEDS things like this to happen.

PEACE!

[NBachers]

5. I like this better than a big sad gambling den