Town votes to restrict wind turbines
The Associated Press
THORNDIKE — The small town of Thorndike is the latest municipality in Maine to approve an ordinance that restricts the location of wind turbines.
Residents at Saturday's town meeting approved an ordinance that requires turbines to be located at least one mile from any home. That's the same requirement of recently approved ordinances in the nearby towns of Jackson and Dixmont.
Supporters of the ordinance told the Bangor Daily News that their main concern is the noise that turbines generate.
People in the neighboring town of Montville will vote on a similar ordinance next Saturday at their annual town meeting.
Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form
Most...
Copyright ©2010 MaineToday Media, Inc.
14 COMMENTS
common_cents said...
Seems to be a trend that has the alt. energy industry gasping for air!
March 21, 2010 at 1:12 PM Report abuse
TonyF said...
Strange, I've been near the turbines in Mars Hill several times & I didn't notice any noise. Maybe the newer turbines the companies are using are different types.
March 21, 2010 at 2:21 PM Report abuse
TonyF said...
The only thing I think I'd change about the wind turbines is make them smaller. I don't know why they need to be so tall & big. Can't they be only about 150' tall with shorter blades? Maine has only few trees over 100' tall so a 150' turbine with 40' blades shouldn't be blocked by any nearby trees. A few more could built for less, they wouldn't stick out as much & if they are noisy maybe they'd be less noisy. Plus couldn't they be painted a forest green so they blend in with the surrounding landscape more?
March 21, 2010 at 2:49 PM Report abuse
ThorEau said...
In yesterday's letters to the editor, a writer protested that poor Mainers like himself needed jobs from wind. However, it apparently turned out that this poor downtrodden writer was the sone of the CEO and owner of Reed & Reed. The biggest wind contractor in Maine. Read it all at: http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/letters/saturday-opinion_2010-03-19.html
March 21, 2010 at 2:55 PM Report abuse
Arthur said...
It isn't just noise. It isn't just viewshed. It's that Maine people are getting smart that the Wind Rush is the latest CarTest, dot-com bubble, Enron, etc. It's a useless technology that makes us feel good because we think it's good for the earth. It's the antithesis of what Maine is. Run em off the land.
March 21, 2010 at 4:09 PM Report abuse
qwenky said...
To All Towns in Maine! RE: WIND SCAM BIG LIES! ORDINANCE NOW against this BIG LIE SCAM being perpetrated on you by Central Planners and GREEN GREED SnaKe Oil Salesmen! You still have local control via the state constitution in Maine......FOR NOW!
March 21, 2010 at 4:42 PM Report abuse
raider said...
With Angus King the former Governor and Baldy who are in favor of wind turbines, can't help but wonder, why did Obama give Angus millions of Stimulus money for Turbines? How much does the Wind charge per Kwh? compared to Hydro from Quebec?
March 21, 2010 at 4:55 PM Report abuse
ThorEau said...
Huge glut in natural gas reported on in The Economist. "Those in the vanguard of this global gas revolution say it will transform the battle against carbon, threaten coal’s domination of electricity generation and, by dramatically reducing the power of exporters of oil and conventional gas, turn the geopolitics of energy on its head." http://www.economist.com/business-finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15661889
March 21, 2010 at 5:23 PM Report abuse
Blueyes1119 said...
TonyF, you might want to get your hearing checked. But seriously, research noise characteristics and patterns of wind turbines. One day in January, I was up there skiing at Big Rock. The turbines to the south I could hear as I skied and with a helmet on. There are two turbines near the top of the lift. The one right next to the trail they close when the ski area operates. The one just 100 feet or so north of where the chairlift unloads was turning. Taking my helmet off, I could barely hear it. Later, over on Mountain Road, I was due northeast of that same turbine, down the mountain from it about a third of a mile away. It, along with the others, were roaring like the sound of a low flying jet that never goes away. Why the difference? The wind was from the west, southwest, so what I heard depended on where I was located. The people living on Mountain Rd and E. Ridge Rd are on the east and northeast of the mountain and they get hammered by noise & low frequency infrasound.
March 21, 2010 at 6:46 PM Report abuse
sandman21 said...
lordpeter are you and I they only folks who know about the need for rare earths?
March 21, 2010 at 7:05 PM Report abuse
MSH said...
Will all the posters that the coal/oil/gas companies paid for , please raise their hands...
March 21, 2010 at 7:23 PM Report abuse
Jack_Pine said...
Say bye, bye to the artificial demand for wind power from Connecticut: http://www.ctmirror.org/story/5217/bill-would-cut-targets-use-renewable-energy
March 21, 2010 at 7:54 PM Report abuse
MaineHiker said...
sandman21, umm, nope.
March 21, 2010 at 7:59 PM Report abuse
null said...
Thoreau. You didn't take into account that the writers comments were valid. Everyone needs a job and the wind industry creates good jobs.
March 22, 2010 at 9:45 AM Report abuse