Tag Archives: Monhegan Island
Maine coastal villagers say cables from offshore wind project will wreck their way of life
Opponents of an offshore wind project slated for development off Monhegan Island will take their fight to a new level Tuesday, when they plan to file a petition designed to prevent cables delivering electricity from the project to the mainland from passing through St. George. The group Preserve Our Remarkable Town, or PORT, says it has collected more than 300 signatures from residents of St. George, which includes the villages of Tenants Harbor and Port Clyde, who fear the the project will harm the local fishing industry and undermine the quality of life and property values in their communities. click here to read the story 19:39
Maine lawmaker proposes ban on wind turbines near Monhegan
Sen. Dana Dow, R-Damariscotta, wants to prohibit a wind energy test area within 10 miles of the island’s lobster conservation area. The current site is roughly 2 1/2 miles off the island. Through the Senate Republican Office, Dow issued a statement saying the project would threaten migrating birds as well as the remote, rugged beauty that draws artists and tourists. He said Mainers wouldn’t allow such a project near Mount Katahdin or Acadia National Park, which, like Monhegan, are special places. Dow’s bill reflects similar positions voiced by a group of year-round and seasonal residents and their supporters called Protect Monhegan. Other residents, however, say they support the project, but want to negotiate the best deal for the community. Read the story here 11:29
Monhegan Island is the wrong place for wind turbines
A recent Press Herald article described Protect Monhegan as a “small group” of island residents seeking the relocation of wind turbines to be placed little more than two miles from our island. While we may be small in terms of the big institutions we are up against – Maine’s largest public university (the University of Maine), largest construction company (Cianbro Corp.) and second-largest electric utility (Emera Maine) – we represent the views of nearly half of Monhegan Island residents, as well as many other seasonal residents and visitors from around the world. Like many of us who live here, they simply can’t understand why – of all the places along Maine’s 3,500-mile coastline – the waters off Monhegan must be the place to experiment with two 585-foot wind turbines. The fact is, the process that led to this decision has been anything but transparent. What was originally presented as a one-eighth-scale turbine, which would be tested for two five-month periods, has morphed into a 20-year-long major project, with industrial-scale wind turbines on floating towers and backed by $48 million of taxpayer money. Read the rest here 08:35
FRIENDSHIP, Maine – proposed wind turbine farm off Monhegan Island was met with skepticism and outright opposition
The presentation was made by representatives of the University of Maine to about 30 people at the Friendship town office. The wind farm would cover an 8-mile-by-8-mile area off Monhegan. “This would devastate fishing in that area if you do that,” said fisherman Kevin Benner. more@bdn 09:21
