Wind Farm May Power Ski Area Evergreen Inks Deal With Big Rock
Sep 24 - Bangor Daily News
Evergreen Wind Power, developer of the proposed wind farm in Mars Hill, has signed a deal to supply power to nearby Big Rock Ski area, the companies announced Thursday.
The state Board of Environmental Protection gave final approval to the
project's 400-foot-high turbines last week, rejecting arguments that they could
be harmful to birds and bats. However, the company won't start construction
until its financing, which hinges on the approval of a federal renewable energy
tax credit, is finalized.
The formerly commercial ski area was sold to the nonprofit Maine Winter
Sports Center in October 2000, with the assistance of Libra Foundation Grants,
at a time when the company was struggling to survive.
The lower-cost power that will be available to Big Rock from the wind
turbines is important to keeping the new Big Rock solvent, and building a winter
ecotourism industry in the region, Maine Winter Sports Center President Andy
Shepard said Thursday.
"We're making progress every year, but we still have a long way to go
before we reach that break-even status," he said.
Buying power from Evergreen could mean a savings of $25,000 to $30,000
annually, he said.
"There are a lot of financial pressures on that mountain," Shepard
said. "Anything that can reduce the overhead makes it more likely that this
is going to work."
If the wind project goes through as anticipated, Evergreen officials said
they thought the ski area would become the first in the country to be
"hard-wired" to a wind farm via underground cables.
The Mars Hill wind farm would produce an estimated 50 megawatts of power,
enough to supply 25,000 households with electricity.
Big Rock's power needs - its ski lifts, snowmaking equipment and lodge - will
total less than 1 percent of that.
"It's the proverbial drop in the bucket," said Ric Tyler, whose
Bangor public relations firm represents Evergreen.
The company has previously said that it intends to sell the power locally,
and perhaps also make it available to Canadians, but no other buyers were
revealed Thursday.
Evergreen spokesman Peter Gish was traveling abroad Thursday and could not be
reached for comment. However, he said last week that he expects to see Congress
consider the federal tax credit this fall. The issue will likely take a back
seat until after the election, but it is believed to have bipartisan support, he
said.
The company also said Thursday that an application with the Maine Public
Utilities Commission will be filed later this month, with the expectation of an
answer by early 2005.
If no unforeseen problems emerge, construction could begin as soon as next
spring.
"We're cautiously optimistic," Gish said.