Sensible Energy Group Questions Motives of Benevolent Wind Developer

Wind developers have recently resorted to spreading their money around within the communities where they hope to build grid-scale industrial wind facilities. From snowmobile clubs to fire departments to historical societies, and from fuel assistance funds to youth programs to libraries; if there is a need in a community where a wind developer wishes to build, the developer has become proficient at finding and meeting that need.

FMM President Chris O’Neil called this tactic “an attempt to buy local goodwill, political favor, and ultimately, votes.”

It came as no surprise to the state’s leading conservation/energy organization that Patriot Renewables has made several donations in the Dixfield - Carthage area, because Patriot would like to build industrial wind projects in both towns.

“These characters come to town knowing how contentious their massive projects will be, so they do a little advance work. Look at the recent wars in Rumford and Peru,” said O’Neil. “Now that we’ve succeeded in dispelling their old myths about wind power being green and useful, they’ve resorted to seducing voters with money. And sadly, Maine law allows this bribery because there’s a statutory presumption that wind power is necessary and useful at all costs.”

The River Valley Area has been particularly hard-hit in the last three years as developers including First Wind, Patriot Renewables, and Angus King’s Independence Wind have targeted the mountains surrounding this River Valley Area. O’Neil said the wind developers’ motives are not so pure. “They try to seem benevolent in these towns, but their donations are only a small investment toward major payoffs that are made possible by the generous State and Federal programs which bestow millions of dollars on wind developers.”

O’Neil cited the recently constructed wind projects at Record Hill in Roxbury and Spruce Mountain in Woodstock to point out that wind developers will stop at nothing in their zealous pursuit of ratepayer and taxpayer handouts. “For developers to throw $20 thousand to this youth group and $10 thousand to that rescue service is a pittance when we realize that he stands to get hundreds of millions in government largesse, even if his wind project fails.”

Mainers should have raised a brow when Patriot Renewables gifted Eleven Circles, a youth action group, with $10,000.00. Eleven Circles is most likely a worthy organization; but its co-owner is the daughter-in-law of the Dixfield Town Manager.

Similar donations have happened all across Maine since our Legislature rezoned 2/3 of this state in order to expedite wind development and smooth the way for a high impact electric generation source that has never proven its worth.

“Maine citizens should not be taken in and should not kid themselves,” O’Neil said. “These wind speculators have stormed in and divided communities. Town officials have had their integrity called into question. Citizens have felt uninformed and disenfranchised. Landowners have found it hard to resist the promised payouts. Let’s call a bribe a bribe.”

“Sooner or later,” O’Neil said, “these towns will say yes or no to wind power. Patriot watched the citizens in Rumford and 20 other Maine towns study the issue, learn the facts, and protect their communities. They can’t afford to have towns protecting themselves.”

Questioned FMM’s President: “If towns like Dixfield and Carthage pass comprehensive ordinances protecting the health, well-being and property values of their citizens, do you think any of those charities would be the recipients of these payouts?”