Wind Energy and Maine Audubon’s Oversight Ruffle Feathers

The placement of wind turbines in Maine sanctioned by the Maine Audubon Society has drawn criticism. Critics charge the Society with betraying the it’s conservation mission by approving some of the locations selected by the First Wind Energy company for placing wind turbines. Some of those critics claim the Maine Audubon Society caved in to wind energy interests in response to financial support from the energy industry.

Susan Gallo, a biologist at the Maine Audubon Society said the Society is for wind energy, in concept, as a means of reducing the greater threat to wildlife from global warming. However, she said the Maine Audubon Society does not approve of all wind energy development. They look at wind energy development project by project. “It’s all about siting”, said Gallo. Studying migrations, the regional species from bald eagles to bats and the height of trees in a potential siting area are a few of the many considerations made by the Society.

Gallo said there is no place on earth where there would not be some impact from wind energy. The question is where to place them with the least risk. Offshore placement is more difficult at his time because the resources are less well mapped. There have been small transmitters placed in birds to tack them as they pass towers in some areas. Gallo said there are a lot of unanswered questions in offshore wind energy. “We have no position on offshore wind energy,” said Gallo.

The Maine Audubon Society, said Gallo, has strict guidelines for reducing the impact of the terrestrial placement of wind turbines. “The wind energy industry came to Maine Audubon to consult with them on wind turbine placement”, she said. “Other industries have consulted with us to open doors of communication. Statoil came to us in the development of their offshore wind project,” said Gallo.

First Wind brought their meteorologist and wind maps. These were overlapped with Audubon’s migration maps. Gallo said this was a good practice because Audubon was able to get in early on to make changes early on.

As for the financial influence of the wind energy influence on Maine Audubon, Gallo said they receive support from several corporations and local businesses. Gallo said, “The support from the wind energy industry was not out of line in amount from what others donate. Departments within Maine Audubon, such as the Education Department, are funded by grants from a range of sources including the Orchard Foundation.” Their 12,000 members also provide support, she said.

Friends of Maine Mountains’ Richard McDonald reportedly said, They’ve (Maine Audubon) basically given wind developers a free pass (with their report). First Wind is listed as an Audubon Eagle Donor, having given the organization $10,000 or more in 2013. Another energy company, Patriot Renewables, is an Owl Donor, for a gift of $1,000.

More generally critics have said the state cannot meet it’s 2015 goal for land based wind energy sources. Others have criticized the wind energy industry for not generating jobs or electricity that stays in Maine.

Aside from whatever dangers wind turbines do or do not present to wildlife other critics complain that the rush to raise wind turbines in habitat and on landscapes they think should be protected is just another example in the long history of extractive industries exploiting Maine.

According to the energy company website First Wind and Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC) have signed an agreement that will bring energy from First Wind’s planned Hancock wind project near Ellsworth, Maine to 17 Massachusetts Municipalities. Under a 25 year fixed price contract First Wind will sell nearly 75% of the power and capacity at the 51megawatt wind farm to MMWEC.

http://www.elp.com/articles/2013/12/massachusetts-cities-sign-deals-for-wind-power-from-maine.html.