Earth Equity News

Opponents to Wind Energy in Maine Gear Up. By Glenn Adams, AP, February 18, 2010. "As wind power expands in Maine, the industry is feeling a gust of push back from those who worry about the turbines' noise and impact on scenery and about whether too many towers are going up too fast. 'The wind industry has had a decade head start working behind the scenes, working below the radar and positioning itself to have a favored status,' said Brad Blake, of Cape Elizabeth, spokesman for the Citizens Task Force on Wind Energy, an umbrella group of residents fighting wind projects around the state. 'It's been a stealth attack on rural Maine, and the citizens of Maine are catching up.' State officials acknowledge heightened awareness across the state to wind power as it transforms 'from the theoretical to the practical,' said Karin Tilberg, senior policy adviser to Gov. John Baldacci. But the administration remains committed to wind and other forms of renewable energy to help wean the oil-dependent state from fossil fuels, she said. 'It is important that people have a discussion based on science and good information,' Tilberg said Wednesday. In 2008, the Legislature streamlined the permitting process for wind farms. With a regulatory welcome mat out, five commercial-grade wind farms are online or under construction, and more are on the drawing boards. In the meantime, the state has moved aggressively toward making offshore wind power a reality."