I care about Kibby Mountain, and the Kibby Range. I've hiked to the summit of KIBBY MTN - 3654' and bushwhacked to the summits of KIBBY RANGE (E PK) 3088', KIBBY RANGE (N PK)- 3286' and KIBBY RANGE (S PK)- 3043'.
I love the 3000 foot mountains up in the Beaudry.

I also support the wind project.

Thanks, Carey.

No-one should support wind power on wild ridgetops. Those who do, do so with their heads in the sand, oblivious to the damage done by giant turbines and their infrastructure, and blinded by a "we must do something" mentality devoid of serious reflection.

You hit the nail on the head: it's a few watts of extra power, nothing that will make a serious difference in climate change or anything else. And in return we get another expansion of humankind's making a mess of the planet. Seems we can't see past our own noses (or those widescreen TVs).

It's only going to get worse. We've got to get the message out somehow. Thanks for trying.

I would have to say,having been to all most all the hearings that the opposition was much more informed and factual than these wind mongers.To me its simple leave are mountains alone so that we can still have something special on this planet to enhance are climate. I think there alot of people who do not want this and hopfully LURC has gotten the message. It is the law. Protection should not be taken lightly.Safe our beautiful mountains LURC!!!!!!!!

How come there is no public outcry concerning the destruction of pristine pasture land so that these outrageously large homes can be built. Each of these homes only increases the demand for more energy. Personally, I would much rather see wind turbines dotting the landscape than palaces built only to tell the world of the home owner's apparent wealth.

It is going to be a huge development if it is already the largest in New England...

Mean while the real deal is still on the burner, "...........Senator Reid's (Nevada) bill limits the Federal financing of high-voltage transmission lines to only those that carry at least 75 percent renewable electricity, and applies the same limitation to any new lines to be built across Federal lands. .........."

That's the potato soup right there. Federally subsidized renewable electricity high-voltage power lines. If I could have one piece of the deal it would simply be the rights to transmit electricity in the guise of a "National Renewable Energy Zone."

There is tremendous concern in regard to developing the western Maine Mountains and to that I refer to a comment made at the hearing, "Wind turbines located on the Boundary Mountains could produce societal advantages, both economically and environmentally. But they also have the potential to change the character of the land for generations. This project has the potential to impact the character of our culture." In addition to this comment the speaker made a logistical point that Maine needs a "Statewide Wind Power Plan" or, simply put: "aim, then fire; don't fire and then aim."

www.growsmartmaine.org

A second point was made and addressed as follows: "Maine's Natural Resources Comes First"

Here the speaker made a number of points. Such that: "The economic costs are those of short changing our economic future, fragmenting valuable habitat, creating a precedent of industrial development in delicate, protected habitats, and permanently degrading a remote, undeveloped resource."

....."The Commission’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan states that the commission must “reconcile the need to protect the natural environment and other important values from uses that cause degradation with the need for traditional, resource-based uses and reasonable, new economic growth and development.” It is not the task of the Commission to solve Maine’s energy problems. Protection of Maine’s natural resources for the greatest good is the issue and I don’t feel this project passes your standards. Let’s follow former Governor King’s advice and use our resources for their best, highest use now and for the future."

Personally I was in favor of the development but now have doubts based upon areas in Maine with more potential such as the Aroostook County wind project, now in its planning stages, is estimated to generate 500 mw, more than all other existing and proposed wind projects combined. One wonders, then, why so much money is being put into a site that is so marginal and controversial when there are better alternatives.

A decentralized system such as developing mountain tops to become wind farms is not as practical as I had first hoped.

Bivvysack-
Wind power could make a serious difference if the projects were not all contested. I agree that some places are better suited for wind than other places but face it- wind turbines works best on mountaintops and the coast. In fact, ME is ranked as the top location for wind power in the northeast.

Support wind (and yes I am an avid hiker).

The following remarks were made by Richard Batt to the Land Use Regulation
Commission hearingsreagardin the Kibby Project.

I am here to advocate that a state-wide plan for wind power should first be
developed, and the Kibby Wind Project should be evaluated against the plan.
Do not act until there is a state-wide plan in place first. Simply put:
aim, then fire; don't fire and then aim.

I am Richard Batt, a resident of Wilton, Maine. By way of introduction, I
am the president of Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington. I have a
bachelor's degree in science from the University of Notre Dame and a masters
degree in Business Administration from the University of Chicago. I am a
member of the board of the Maine Development Foundation, the Maine Hospital
Association, and the University of Maine at Farmington Board of Visitors. I
was a founder of the Greater Franklin Development Corporation. I speak for
myself this evening.

About six months ago the Brookings Institute, a prestigious national,
non-partisan, socially-oriented economic research organization, released the
results of a one and a half-year study of the Maine economy. This million
dollar study indicated that Maine needs to be very careful to make smart
business development decisions. The Brookings study pointed out that Maine
is presently allowing development decisions that, in the long run, threaten
to hurt the very way of life that makes Maine so special.

Here are some quotes from the Brookings Institute study about Maine's
economy: "the wheel [of economic development potential] may now be turning
in Maine's direction. As the search for quality places grows in importance,
Maine possesses a globally known "brand" built on images of livable
communities, stunning scenery, and great recreational opportunities.
Likewise, as 'innovation' drives more of the economy, Maine's reputation for
Yankee ingenuity and resourcefulness matters more. On several counts, in
short, Maine is surprisingly well-positioned for the future.

And yet, for all that, Maine's future success is by no means assured.

Workers see quality jobs-their own and others'-being replaced with
lower-paying ones yet often lack the skills or opportunity to trade back up.
Policymakers tout the promise of Maine's traditional and high-tech industry
clusters, but meanwhile the hoped-for future of plentiful, good-paying new
jobs seems to come too slowly-especially in rural areas. And all the while
unplanned, haphazard suburban development rushes along too fast, in many
places taking something away-a cherished woodlot or open field, a favorite
point of water access for fly-fishing, the way a certain small town felt."
[The full text of this study can be obtained at www.growsmartmaine.org

If you allow noisy 450 foot spinning pinwheels to be put on the tops of our
local scenic mountains, you may partially destroy the way of life that makes
this place so special for us and is the foundation of our economic
prosperity. You could be making exactly the development mistake the
Brookings economic study cautions against. Exactly the mistake they warn
against!

But, as many people have pointed out tonight, our society needs many more
renewable sources of energy, including wind power.

So what is the answer? The choice you have is difficult. There are strong
pros and cons to this project. I am here to suggest you postpone a
decision, because if you decide now you do so absent a statewide plan and
absent thoughtfully developed decision criteria. The Governor has created a
Commission to make recommendations about how wind power should be developed
in Maine. I know that, as the Governor developed this Commission, he said
this particular project should be exempted from the process. Respectfully,
I observe that this decision is illogical and dangerous. You should not
decide on a huge action with permanent consequences before the Maine
strategic plan is in place. That's like saying: "ready, fire, aim."

Wind turbines located on the Boundary Mountains could produce societal
advantages, both economically and environmentally. But they also have the
potential to change the character of the land for generations. This project
has the potential to impact the character of our culture.

I don't know that much about land and resource management, but I know a
considerable amount about how to make good decisions.

In this case, a public policy should be established, and thoughtful criteria
should be created. We have resources right in our communities that could
help with this process: this decision should be informed by environmental
studies and business faculty members at the universities and colleges in
Maine. Then, and only then, should individual decisions be made on specific
projects, including the project now before you.

You know well that the business interests are anxious to get going. There is
power and lots of money to be made, and big tax credits ready to be earned.
Lots of people and organizations are waiting for the promised money to flow
to them. There are a lot of people who don't ever see the Boundary
Mountains - people who in fact, don't even know exactly where they are - who
use a lot of energy living in big houses and commuting alone long distances
in large cars and trucks, and who will briefly feel better about their
impact on the environment if this project is approved.

But you have one chance to get this right. I repeat the quotes by the
Brooking Institute: "And yet, for all that, Maine's future success is by no
means assured. ... but meanwhile the hoped-for future of plentiful,
good-paying new jobs seems to come too slowly-especially in rural areas. And
all the while unplanned, haphazard suburban development rushes along too
fast, in many places taking something away-a cherished woodlot or open
field, a favorite point of water access for fly-fishing, the way a certain
small town felt."

The idea of putting spinning pinwheels on our unspoiled mountaintops is not
the kind of "suburban" development this report references. However, absent a
statewide strategic plan on wind power, this project is exactly the type of
"unplanned development" that the Brookings Institute advises against -
"unplanned development" that can take away our cherished way of life. No
amount of money is worth it if we lose what is special in our culture.

I do not speak in opposition of this project. I ask you to await a
strategic plan and a set of decision criteria before you act on any more
projects. If the statewide plan produces criteria that favors the Kibby
Wind Project, then the project should be approved. But it is foolish to
shoot and then aim. If you do so, you risk destroys the way of life that
defines the character of Maine - a way of life that has led people from all
over to come to know our state as "The way life should be."

Thank you for listening to my suggestions.

At first it seemed as though the future was before us between the Poland Spring bottling plant in Kingfield, and the proposed windfarm for Redington Township. I don't like power lines, but that's my own problem... When LURC fanned on the Redington windfarm I thought to myself, why? Only to learn later, there is the next windfarm up for approval and for the same reason I wasn't sure of to begin with, I figure again the powers that be will move on this and make it happen.

Only now I have more than a few doubts. When I was up at the loaf yesterday, I couldn't help but imagine what a 41 story windturbine on the summit would be like? Then I thought where in Maine, is there even a 41 story anything, building or otherwise?

Apparently, a windturbine has a diameter of 85 feet at its base; the foundation is so deep it would be perhaps to where the upper cat walk is, in terms of the footing depth to support such a structure. Once in place one could only hope if not pray it never shook loose from its foundation and reigned down like a shattered mirror, although a few stray birds would for sure be seen spotted on the likes of the Widomaker’s picture windows. (a real crowd pleaser I'm sure) Not to mention the turbine’s fans casting off stroboscopic effects from time to time…

So, the next question is can a 41 story wind turbine really be built and if so, how well can it be expected to perform? Can it withstand a 1.5 or a 2.0 quake? What about extreme weather? Will the wind turbine make the biomass plant in Stratton obsolete? Are they going to build only 44 WT's or is this just the beginning of a plan that could continue to build out, using federal tax credits and shelters?

If and when the "National Renewable Energy Zones Act" is put through, what rights will those of us in the way of the transmission line have? Will the owner of the transmission line be obligated to maintain the "windturbines, or said alternative energy" or, will the windturbines (white elephants) slowly fall by the wayside and eventually have to be removed with federal clean-up money while the owner of the transmission line maintains the rights of the transmission line and thereby receives royalties for any and all "other" said transmission?

There is more than one issue in play and like most there is probably an overwhelming consensus to build renewable energy sources. Closing in the western Maine Mountains to become something on the order of an offshore tax shelter is not accomplishing the objective at hand, and that is building a sustainable future for Sugarloaf. It takes away what the community could do for itself it is so chose to by enacting the very same rules of law that would govern a major player such as Trans Can, if all the communities in the area joined together to enact upon a "Statewide Wind farm Act."

It is an inherent and a gross error to marginalize and to allow the LURC to give away what is already part of the greater community to begin with. The surest way to the future are acts of self-governance of assuring for the community alternative energy sources as a step that is more likely to benefit future generations by utilizing nearby resources with the assistance of a "National Renewable Energy Zones Act."

MH
Sugarloafer since 1985

Framing this debate in terms of "Do you care about Kibby Mountain?" is as preposterous as framing the Iraq war in terms of "Do you support the troops?" A page right out of Karl Rove's playbook. It is possible to both care about Kibby Mountain (and Range) _and_ support the project. Likewise it is possible not to care about Kibby Mountain and Range and oppose the project.

Carey: While you take your gas-guzzling jaunt up to Kibby, please consider whether you care about the men and women in harm's way in Iraq who are there to protect your interests in oil exports from the Middle East which make such a trip affordable and possible. Perhaps they are "just far enough off the grid of [y]our consciousness that [you] can apparently afford to sacrifice" their lives for your own self-righteous mission to document what "will soon cease to exist as we know it."

If you see a wind map of Maine you'll notice that high winds are only along the coast. But no one dares put a windfarm on our coast to spoil the pristine views of the out-of-state owned mega mansions. Instead these self interested money making wind farm pimps go to the poor low population areas. Here the opposition will be little to none and once they establish themselves in these low wind areas it will be hard to refuse them any place they want to set up shop.
The only thing standing in their way is LURC. Thank you LURC for not being steamrolled by these corporations. Remember the average tax payer that lives here for the peace and quiet and the tourist trying to escape the spoiled landscapes of their own states.

Au contraire, Lori. A closer examination of the wind resource map of Maine (http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/images/windmaps/me_50m_800.jpg) shows that Kibby Range and Kibby Mountain have wind power classifications as high or higher than the near-shore areas off the coast of Maine. Combine that with the increased cost of anchoring large wind-turbines in coastal environments and tying them in to the landbased grid, and you can understand why TransCanada is eyeing Franklin County as a cost-effective project. Given the much higher population density along the coast and the vast amount of untouched wilderness areas remaining in Central and Northern Maine, and this project seems to be their best shot at generating both renewable energy and profits, while also minimizing the amount of resistance. And if they work with LURC, are they not serving the best interests of their corporation?

Your assertion that there is such a thing as an "average taxpayer" is a poor attempt to project your own personal sentiment on a broader number of people. Need I remind you that most Americans feel we are too dependent on foreign oil and that we need to develop domestic sources of renewable energy?