VOTE "NO" ON WIND ORDINANCE

On Monday, residents of Woodstock will have the chance to vote on a wind power ordinance.

If passed, the ordinance would have no direct effect on the Spruce Mountain Wind Project as it currently exists and operates. However, Spruce Mountain Wind is named as the reason that this ordinance was developed, so we wanted to respond to a few questions that have been asked, and to express our thoughts on the ordinance for your reflection and consideration.

In case you are not aware, the Spruce Mountain Wind project operates as permitted, fully in compliance with the laws put forth by the State of Maine and the Town of Woodstock, including noise limits that are strictly enforced by the State. We have also conducted sound studies on Concord Pond and determined that the project is operating well within compliance levels and even below predicted sound levels at those locations. We have complied with all applicable laws, and we will continue to do so throughout the life of the project.

Voters should be aware that if this ordinance is passed, there are a number of technical aspects of the ordinance that would make future wind power development in Woodstock virtually impossible, although this does not affect us directly. For Spruce Mountain Wind, the ordinance could have the unintended consequence of preventing us from replacing the current turbines with a new, more efficient, and quieter technology 20 years in the future. The turbines currently installed at Spruce Mountain Wind produce more power while emitting less noise than previous generations of turbines, and that technological trend is expected to continue. The next generation of wind turbines will likely produce even more energy and less sound per unit of output.

We do not think this was the intent of the Wind Energy Ordinance Committee, and they certainly deserve credit for taking on the difficult task of working through this highly technical process. However, this is a complex subject and we believe care should be taken to avoid unintended consequences. Therefore, although it does not affect our project directly, we would recommend that you vote NO on this ordinance for the reasons stated above. We are proud of Spruce Mountain Wind, and we are very appreciative of our relationship with the Town of Woodstock. If you have any questions regarding the wind project or our perspective on the ordinance, please feel free to contact me at 781-789-7073.

Tom Carroll,

Spruce Mountain Wind