The Public Gets Its Say on Wind Farm

SOUND OF MILLING ABOUT.

About 100 people showed up at the Lancaster Town Hall.

They came to share strong opinions – for and against - Granite Reliable Power’s request.

The company wants to locate 33 wind turbines along mountain ridgelines in Millsfield and Dixville.

The only state official to testify was Peter Roth.

He is an assistant attorney general appointed to represent consumer interests.

For the past two weeks he’s been participating in the hearings in Concord before the state’s Site Evaluation Committee.

He heard about the project’s environmental impact and about the company’s financial standings.

And Roth says, he’s concluded the company lacks the money and the expertise to build the 275 million dollar project.

“I don’t feel there is enough evidence in the record to show this project is being done by the right people in the right place.”

Roth’s concerns come as the company finds itself trouble with creditors in New York, where it has three wind farms.

Several companies have filed liens against Noble Environmental Power, which controls Granite Reliable.

The creditors claim the company owes around $3 million for labor and equipment.

A Noble spokeswoman said it was a routine dispute and Noble expects the problem to be resolved soon.

At the hearing on Monday, each side had its cheer leaders.

SOUND OF APPLAUSE.

By a narrow margin more came to speak in favor than against.

They argued that the Granite Reliable windfarm would provide clean, renewable energy, which the country needs.

Mark Armstrong works for a company that manages land that would be used by Noble.

“The economy in Northern New England has been criticized as in the past as being too narrow. We are indeed in the same precarious position as a two-legged stool balanced on timber and tourism. The production of clean, reliable energy could provide an additional sector to broaden the base of our economy.”

SOUND OF APPLAUSE

Those in favor say the project would
bring about 170 construction jobs.

It would boost the local economy and provide as much as $500,000 a year to the Coos County government.

Some admitted the environmental impacts, but said they believe the state will protect the land and wildlife.

Opponents argued the boost in employment will only be short-term.

Once the project is finished it will provide only six or seven full-time jobs.

State Rep. Lyle Bulis of Littleton said a biomass plant producing electricity would provide more jobs.

“My concern here is that because of the constraints of the power line as it exists presently, which is 100 megawatts, if the wind farm goes through then that would preclude other facilities such as a biomass plant. The wind farm would employ six, a biomass plant could employ 40 and another 100 working in the logging industry.”

Others attending the hearing expressed their concerns about the project’s environmental impact.

John Harrigan of Colebrook described himself as both “a tree hugger and a tree killer.”

“This project is horrendous, an insult to the landscape and really an insult to New Hampshire’s rich tradition of stewardship and conservation.”

Previously the Appalachian Mountain Club and New Hampshire Fish and Game had objected to parts of the plan.

But they withdrew those concerns when the developers promised to conserve about 1,700 acres of other land and give Fish and Game $750,000 to buy other land in Coos.

The New Hampshire Audubon Society remains opposed to the project.

Recently the EPA and Department of the Interior also said the environmental impacts have not been fully explored.

Several speakers at the hearing said they hoped the Army Corps of Engineers would require an environmental impact statement.

Originally the state’s Site Evaluation Committee planned to make a decision on the project by early next month.

Now it’s giving itself until early May.

For NHPR News this is Chris Jensen