Second time’s the charm?

On Aug. 25, Maine’s Public Utilities Commission selected winning proposals in a years-long effort to turn more of northern Maine’s howling winds into energy that can power population centers in the southern part of the state and region.

The PUC selected one developer to build 800 megawatts of new onshore wind energy in Aroostook County—enough to power over 300,000 homes—and another to build a new transmission line capable of carrying up to 1,200 MW of power to Southern Maine and New England. Six hundred MW of the first tranche of power are reserved for Maine.

Advocates of renewable energy cheered the move.

Environmental organizations cheered the progress toward new wind power while stopping short of supporting the wind and transmission projects until their environmental impacts are identified.

“With careful siting, thoughtful design, and responsible operation, the clean energy projects identified today will deliver reliable, affordable electricity to Mainers while reducing the pollution that is threatening our health and fueling changes to our climate that are already being felt across the state,” read a joint statement from the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Maine Audubon, Maine Conservation Alliance, Conservation Law Foundation and Acadia Center.

To read the full article from Inside Climate News, click here.