A Wind Powering America Project Volume 1, Issue 1 — January 2006

New England Wind Forum Is a Clearinghouse 

for New England Wind Power Information

New England is the birthplace of the U.S. wind power industry 

and home to a number of wind industry firsts, including the first 

large-scale electricity-producing windmill and the world’s first 

wind “farm.” Today, wind power is the fastest-growing energy 

source in the country and the world. In New England, wind energy 

is poised to help diversify the region’s electricity supply mix, 

reducing the energy dependence of a region that is traditionally 

a major energy importer. A new wave of development activity, 

including traditional wind farms, community-scale development, 

and efforts to tap the world-class winds off our shores, is underway throughout the region.

Yet wind energy development in a region with few wide-open 

spaces and a landscape highly valued for its beauty and recreational uses can place host communities in a difficult position 

when faced with siting requests. Information provided by project 

proponents may not be viewed as objective, and residents will naturally have concerns about the potential impacts of wind energy 

development on their communities. In these situations, objective 

and independent sources of information can aid communities in 

making good choices. 

The New England Wind Forum (NEWF), funded by the U.S. 

Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America Program, was 

launched in 2005 to provide a single, comprehensive source of 

up-to-date, Web-based information on a broad array of windenergy-related issues pertaining to the New England region: 

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode 

Island, and Vermont. NEWF consists of a Web site and periodic 

electronic newsletter. We hope this objective information resource, 

independent of project proponents and opponents, will prove 

valuable to:

• Individuals and organizations who are hosting existing or proposed wind projects in their communities, interested in putting 

a wind turbine on their property, or have a general interest in 

wind energy

• Federal, state, and local legislators, policymakers, and 

regulators

• Energy educators.

The NEWF electronic newsletters will be issued periodically, 

bringing you the latest in wind energy development activity, markets, education and policy, as well as Perspectives, interviews with 

key figures influencing New England’s wind energy development. 

We invite you to explore the comprehensive resources provided 

on the NEWF Web site ( www.windpoweringamerica.gov/

newengland.asp ), which will be updated regularly and will feature:

• A history of wind power development in New England

• A state-by-state summary of wind development activity, policy, 

guidelines, incentives, and other information resources

• A map of wind projects installed and under development in the 

region, with profiles on each installation

• Resources on building wind energy, including information 

on wind resources, technology, economics, markets, siting 

considerations, policy, and public acceptance

• A calendar of wind-related events

• Wind energy resources

• Current and past NEWF newsletters.

In This Issue

• EPACT of 2005 Provides Wind Support... p. 2

• Perspectives: Brother Joseph of Portsmouth Abbey... p. 2

• Regional Wind Policy Update... p. 4

• Wind Development Update... p. 6

• Small Wind Corner... p. 9

• Hot Topics... p. 9

• Wind Stats... p. 11

• Events... p. 12

• Cool Links... p. 12
 New England Wind Forum — Volume 1, Issue 1 — January 2006

Energy Policy Act of 2005 Provides Support for 

Wind 

On August 8, President Bush signed into law the Energy Policy 

Act (EPACT) of 2005, which contained several key provisions for 

wind energy. Perhaps the most important to New England was an 

extension of the federal production tax credit (PTC), now available to projects coming on line by December 31, 2007. The PTC, 

intended to “level the playing field” with support given to other 

energy sources, provides owners of wind and other eligible generators with 10 years of tax credits of 1.9 cents per kilowatt-hour, 

inflation adjusted. 

The PTC has been allowed to expire before being reauthorized 

several times in the past, fueling a boom-bust cycle in wind 

development. This extension is the first to be enacted before the 

PTC expired, allowing the wind industry to move steadily forward 

without an every-other-year period of painful job cuts and stalled 

production. But the PTC extension is not all good news. The passage allows only two years of steady project development activity 

before the prospect for expiration after 2007 looms. The PTCdriven boom in development expected in 2006 and 2007 is one 

contributor to rising wind power equipment costs.

Several other items were included in the EPACT of 2005 that 

influence wind energy development in New England. The 

Renewable Energy Production Incentive (REPI) was extended 

through 2016. Through REPI, the Department of Energy provides 

payments comparable in value to the PTC to certain non-taxpaying entities, such as municipalities. Although this is a positive development, REPI is subject to annual congressional appropriation 

and has been underfunded in the past, making REPI an unreliable 

cash flow source. An alternative to REPI was also created in the 

form of a new category of tax credit bonds, called clean renewable 

energy bonds (CREBs). This financing instrument is available to 

entities such as units of government and municipal utilities.

The EPACT also increased research and development funding for 

wind research, established a renewable energy purchase requirement for Federal facilities, requires the Department of the Interior 

to study the renewable energy potential on Federal lands, and includes a “sense of congress” that renewable energy development is 

an appropriate use for public lands and that within 10 years from 

passage, Federal lands should support at least 10,000 megawatts 

of renewable energy generation. The Department of the Interior’s 

Mineral Management Service (MMS) was given lead authority for 

permitting off-shore wind and other renewable energy projects in 

Federal waters, with regulations to be issued by May 2006. MMS 

will also establish leasing or royalty fees for such use of these 

resources and is required to share a portion of those revenues with 

coastal states for projects within 3 miles of state waters. 

Perspectives: Brother Joseph of Portsmouth Abbey

The Portsmouth Abbey, a Benedictine monastery and prep school 

located in Portsmouth, RI, is about to install a commercial-scale 

Vestas V47 wind turbine on its property, with the assistance of a 

grant from the Rhode Island Renewable Energy Fund. This will 

be the first large-scale turbine located behind the customer meter 

in the region. We spoke to Brother Joseph Byron of Portsmouth 

Abbey, the champion of the project, about his experience. 

Q. What was the Abbey’s motivation for installing a commercialscale wind turbine?

Our motivation was twofold, not only to save money but also as an 

example to students. Our immediate response was to our oil bills 

over the past year, knowing that electricity cost increases wouldn’t 

be far behind. We also felt that somebody should do it, and why 

not us? The wind turbine fit nicely in terms of running a school 

and wanting to advocate and teach a responsible environmental 

issue. And we hoped that by taking the initiative, we could set an 

example for the town and the state. Once it’s installed, people can 

see a real wind turbine in operation and hopefully realize that it is 

not a terrible blight.

Q. Could you describe the setting?

The Abbey’s monastery and school are located on a beautiful 

200-acre property. Everyone’s biggest concern was, “What will 

this look like?” Everyone thought that wind as an alternative and 

Sherman Grist Mill c. 1900 on the site of what is today Portsmouth 

Abbey School, Portsmouth, RI. (courtesy of the Portsmouth Abbey 

Archives)
 New England Wind Forum — Volume 1, Issue 1 — January 2006

renewable energy source was a good idea. It made sense economically. The questions were: How big? What does it look like? 

Where will we put it? It is a very big thing and will undoubtedly 

dominate the landscape. It will be set back about 1000 feet from 

the closest neighbors on Cory’s Lane, almost directly behind the 

Monastery and the Church. Right from the very beginning we 

talked with our neighbors and others in the town to get their input. 

The response was overwhelmingly positive. We’re putting it on a 

beautiful property, and we have an obvious sensitivity to aesthetics. Our hope is that if we are willing to put something this big on 

that property, it may quell the NIMBY arguments against wind 

power. We have a hockey rink on the campus, with a lot of people 

going in and out, so the turbine will be a real showcase. It will 

also be like a giant weather station, with interesting educational 

applications... we can tap into the data feed from the turbine 24 

hours a day, and we can make that available to other schools as 

well. 

Q. How did you put it all together?

Since we were real neophytes, we contacted the State Energy 

Office, which put us in touch with Henry duPont (Lorax Energy 

Systems) of Block Island. He was a tremendous resource. He 

researched site information (the wind resource, demand usage 

of the school) and then selected a turbine that would feed the 

school’s load behind the meter, into the school’s internal electric 

grid. We needed about a 600-kW machine, given wind speed and 

electric demands. Also, we wanted to minimize the turbine size 

and dominance of the landscape. We were lucky to get one of the 

last Vestas V47s available. The State Energy Office helped with 

financial modeling, understanding the market, payback period, 

etc. The town zoning ordinance allows for wind turbines, but we 

needed a special use permit and a zoning variance. Nobody has 

ever done something like this in Portsmouth, so it was new for 

everybody. I think that it went through unanimously because we 

did our homework and tried to quell concerns up front. Everyone 

thought we should try this. It was nice to have it all work out.

Q. How has your experience so far matched your expectations?

Good, so far. It is a daunting project and a real learning experience. I’ve never been involved in anything so big. We’ve already 

laid the conduit and put in the primary disconnect and are now 

installing a unique foundation design. Hopefully, that will be 

done by Thanksgiving. The turbine has been ordered and the parts 

made, but they are coming in various parts and pieces: the generator from a factory in Italy, and the blades from Denmark, should 

ship together to Boston and truck from there to here. The tower is 

coming from Fargo by truck. We wanted to do this before school 

let out, so we are waiting for the weather to be favorable. We’ll 

put it all together in March, and we hope to get it up and running 

during a 1-week period. 

Q. Has the community been supportive?

Not everybody is over the top on this, but most are strongly in 

favor. Somebody has to take the lead. The town has been terrific. 

We talked informally with the town folk about what they thought. 

The town is very concerned about overdevelopment and keeping 

the rural character of the place, and it has used a draconian height 

limit in the zoning code to achieve that. They are rightly very 

Photo simulation of Vestas V47 viewed from the center of campus, Holy Lawn, Portsmouth Abbey School, Portsmouth, RI. (Courtesy of Portsmouth 

Abbey Archives. Created by Wind Power RI Project, School of Architecture, Roger Williams University)
 New England Wind Forum — Volume 1, Issue 1 — January 2006

reticent to vary this. This was expected to be the real stumbling 

block. Everyone knew what we were doing; we spoke to everyone. 

We hope that once it goes up, it will help the town and the state. 

Photosimulation was critical in getting community support. We 

could demonstrate dynamically what people would see. It was a 

big help.

Q. How important were recent changes to Rhode Island’s backuprate policy to making this project feasible?

This exemption from the backup rate was a huge help. Anything 

like that helps. The grant from the state, obviously, helped. 

Whatever can be done to make it more attractive for people to attempt renewable energy. This is a big investment. 

Q. If a grant from the state’s Renewable Energy Fund had not been 

available, what would have been needed to move forward with 

the installation? 

The Fund was extremely generous to us as pioneers in this effort, 

and we are very grateful. We hope that was a good bet on their 

part, because I think it will be a very successful project. With wind 

there is a large expense upfront. Because this project is so novel, 

there was considerable nervousness about investing in it. Without 

that grant, the Abbey would have needed to seek outside grants 

or donors who wanted to support such a project. This is challenging, takes a lot of time, and competes against other demands for 

other school projects. Hopefully, this project will pave the way for 

others. In the future, installing a wind turbine may be less novel, a 

more obvious way to do things.

Q. What is your advice for others seeking to install a commercialscale turbine at their institution?

You need somebody like Henry duPont who really knows all the 

ins and outs of the process, who can give you good advice about 

site, wind resource, available machines, and contacts. This is a 

specialized field; you need people who have been involved with 

other projects. Also, you have to talk to your neighbors, right from 

the get-go, so they are involved in the process. It makes people 

nervous when you install something so big in your neighborhood.

Regional Wind Policy Update

Offshore Wind: Beyond Cape Wind

When New Englanders hear “offshore wind,” the headlinegrabbing Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound comes to mind. 

But beyond the prospects of Cape Wind, the greatest potential 

domestic energy source for the resource-poor New England states 

may be the strong winds blowing off our shores. There is a vast 

potential for electricity to be generated in deep waters off the New 

England coast, within the country’s 200-mile territorial waters. 

Just tapping a small portion of this potential could contribute 

significantly to the region’s supply portfolio. But before wind can 

contribute its share to the portfolio, many things must happen. 

In September, the Offshore Wind Energy Collaborative (OWC), 

established by the U.S. Department of Energy, Massachusetts 

Technology Collaborative, and General Electric, issued A 

Framework for Offshore Wind Energy Development in the United 

States (available at www.masstech.org/offshore/final_09_20.pdf). 

This document, developed after extensive consultation with a 

wide range of stakeholders and in anticipation of growing interest 

in offshore wind energy, identifies the formidable engineering, environmental, economic, and policy challenges to tapping offshore 

wind energy potential and suggests a comprehensive approach to 

overcoming them. 

An interview with Greg Watson of the Massachusetts Technology 

Collaborative, who manages the activities of the OWC during 

its planning phase, is available on the NEWF Web site at www.

windpoweringamerica.gov/ne_interviews.asp

Stakeholders Meet to Discuss Avian and Bat Impacts

In 2003, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) issued 

Interim Guidance on Avoiding and Minimizing Wildlife Impacts

from Wind Turbines to assist the wind industry in avoiding or 

minimizing impacts to wildlife and their habitats. The guidelines 

include the evaluation of prospective wind turbine sites, appropriate design of turbines and site layout, and monitoring of wildlife 

before and after construction to assess impacts. The recommendations, developed without input from industry stakeholders, include 

a protocol to evaluate potential and reference wind sites, including 

up to 3 years of pre-construction avian monitoring. Many of the 

recommendations have been perceived as unreasonable and 

onerous by wind developers, and the one-size-fits-all approach 

appears particularly daunting to smaller project economics. 

Although the USFWS has no direct permitting authority, it does 

have jurisdiction to prosecute in the event of certain wildlife “takings” (for instance, under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act). Through 

the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA), a number of regional 

stakeholders met throughout 2005 to discuss the implications and 

engage USFWS in a constructive dialogue on the issue. USFWS 

also received comments on these guidelines from the wind industry and others. The comment period officially closed in July. 

The USFWS recently stated its intent to participate in a national 

collaborative with CESA and other stakeholders. The goal of the 

collaborative is to modify how avian impacts from wind energy 

projects are assessed at the federal level. The collaborative will 

address wildlife protection laws, explore the use of adaptive 

management, and define a coordinated state/federal approach.

Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards

Several state policies throughout the northeast region are intended 

to drive demand for new renewable generation, including wind 

power. But for these policies to be effective, “the devil is in the 

details.”

• In Connecticut, the “Class 1” Renewable Portfolio Standard 

(RPS) requires all electricity suppliers to provide a specified 

percentage of customer electricity sales from eligible resources, 

which include wind. Class 1 renewable energy credit (REC) 

prices in the current and forward markets recently plunged, an 

apparent market reaction to market entry by biomass facilities 

qualifying for the Class 1 market by installing emission control 
 New England Wind Forum — Volume 1, Issue 1 — January 2006

equipment to meet the strict RPS emission limits. Such retrofits 

can be made at modest per-unit cost compared to the cost of 

building new wind generation. Under the state’s RPS statute, 

new wind projects must compete against certain biomass 

resources, existing or new, provided they meet strict NOx emission limits. While the Class 1 percentage requirement increases 

yearly from 1.5% this year to 7% of load in 2010, the prospect 

that a sufficient number of existing New England biomass 

facilities will implement similar retrofits and thereby meet 

several years of incremental RPS demand suggests that the 

Connecticut RPS may not drive new wind demand for several 

years.

• In Massachusetts, a major threat to the effectiveness of 

the RPS for “new” renewables was recently averted. The 

Massachusetts RPS statute clearly establishes an annually 

increasing percentage of new (post-1997) renewable energy 

in electricity supplier portfolios. However, over the past 2 

years sequential Division of Energy Resource (DOER) rulings 

have allowed biomass facilities that were online before 1998 

to make moderate retrofits and qualify their entire output as 

eligible for the “new” RPS. In July, DOER opened a notice of 

inquiry (NOI) to address and clarify biomass eligibility, raising 

the prospect that these rulings would be formalized in DOER’s 

regulations. Under these proposed changes, existing regional 

biomass plants appeared capable of retrofitting to become 

eligible for the Massachusetts RPS — enough plants to fulfill 

the entire RPS demand for the next 5 years. These activities 

threatened the viability of the RPS as a driver for new wind. 

The demand uncertainty caused by these activities has “chilled” 

investment in wind power development efforts throughout the 

region. 

DOER received comments from a wide range of stakeholders 

in response to the NOI challenging the previous biomass rulings allowing “vintage” pre-1998 generation to count as “new.” 

On October 27, DOER issued a Policy Statement on the RPS 

Eligibility of Retooled Biomass Plants in which it reconsidered 

and reversed its prior rulings on statutory grounds. As a result, 

the removal of substantial market uncertainty regarding the 

potential RPS demand for new wind generation has returned the 

Massachusetts RPS to its expected role as a substantial boon for 

wind development throughout the region. Meanwhile, in the current legislative session, several bills have been offered that would 

open up the RPS to hydroelectric generation that is not currently 

RPS-eligible. It remains to be seen which language, if any, is 

adopted as law, but whether such legislation would create a major 

disruption to the RPS market for wind remains bears watching.

• The Rhode Island legislature passed an aggressive Renewable 

Energy Standard (RES) in June 2004. The Public Utilities 

Commission established a negotiated rulemaking proceeding 

early this year and accepted most of the negotiating committee’s recommendations in issuing draft regulations for comment 

in September. Final implementing regulations were released 

on November 30. The RES requirement, starting in 2007, is 

expected to stimulate new wind, as all but 2% of the 16% target 

by 2019 must be from incremental renewable energy generation. These are the most aggressive percentage targets in the 

region for new renewables. Of interest to wind developers is a 

requirement for long-term contracts to be considered in procurements by National Grid, which currently serves most of the 

state’s load.

• The Vermont legislature adopted a renewable portfolio goal 

in June, under which the state’s utilities are encouraged to use 

renewable energy to offset all load growth through 2012, up to 

a maximum of 10%. In the near term, this law does not appear 

likely to drive additional wind power development above that 

demand created elsewhere in the region, as RECs from these 

sources may, in some cases, be sold off to meet other regional 

RPS requirements while still counting toward this goal. If this 

target is not met by 2012, the state will then implement a mandatory renewable portfolio standard.

• Maine’s Eligible Resource Portfolio Requirement, despite 

requiring 30% of the load to come from eligible resources 

(including wind), is widely acknowledged to be ineffective at 

driving any demand for new wind due to broad eligibility and 

ample eligible supply. Because previous legislative proposals over the past several sessions to alter this requirement or 

implement an alternative have foundered, the legislature’s joint 

utilities and energy committee requested that the Governor 

convene a group of stakeholders to determine if there is sufficient consensus on ways to encourage more renewable energy 

development in Maine. The Office of Energy Independence and 

Security is hosting a series of facilitated meetings involving 

legislators and stakeholders and will file a report in December 

with recommendations to the legislature on RPS changes as 

well as alternative measures. 

Other State Policy Developments

In Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative 

(MTC) supports wind power through several initiatives. In addition to the Community Wind program, which continues to provide 

support to community-driven, commercial-scale turbine installations throughout the state (see Wind Development Update), 

MTC provides project pre-development loans (www.masstech.

org/Grants_and_Awards/CE/predev_overview.htm) and support 

to customer-sited projects via the Large On-Site Renewables 

Initiative (www.masstech.org/renewableenergy/large_renewables.

htm), a new $3.5 million round of feasibility, design, and construction grants. The winners of the second round of contracts 

from the Green Power Partnership Program, under which MTC 

provides long-term purchase or option contracts for RECs to 

support project financing, are expected to be announced in early 

2006. MTC recently sought to purchase three turbines for installations at two sites through a request for proposals, receiving 

only one bid (due to a global turbine shortage) that is still being 

evaluated.

In Connecticut, the legislature this summer amended a requirement for the state’s utilities to enter long-term contracts with 100 

MW of Class 1 renewable energy generators supported by the 

Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF), limiting future contracts 

to in-state facilities after the law’s effective date. As a result, 
 New England Wind Forum — Volume 1, Issue 1 — January 2006

CCEF’s Project 100, under which projects are selected for CCEF 

funding and potential utility long-term contracts, will limit its 

future solicitations to in-state projects. Due to Connecticut’s 

dearth of commercially attractive wind sites, Project 100 is unlikely to be a boon for wind in the future, as envisioned prior to 

this summer’s modification. CCEF also released a draft of its new 

On-Site Renewable DG Program for Commercial, Industrial 

and Institutional Users (www.ctcleanenergy.com/investment/

onsite_renewable_dg_program.html) and accepted public comment through November 2. Under the draft, the program would 

provide $20.5 million in grant funding to behind-the-meter renewable energy and fuel cell generation in excess of 10 kW, with applications considered on a rolling basis. Support is intended to be 

project-specific, and the draft identified a $2 million funding cap 

per project, a cap of $3.60/W on the incentive available to “small 

wind” sized to serve no more than 50% of a host’s annual load, 

with a 1 cent/kWh premium available to southwest Connecticut 

installations. 

On October 3, Vermont’s Governor Douglas proclaimed October 

“Wind Energy Month,” coincident with a ceremony unveiling a 

plaque commemorating the historic Grandpa’s Knob wind turbine 

in Castleton. However, the Governor has recently been shading 

his support toward installations that are “Vermont scale” (around 

10 kW) rather than commercial scale.

In Maine, a grant-funded effort undertaken by Maine Audubon 

has recently been initiated. Audubon has convened about 20 stakeholders, including state agencies, wind developers, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, environmental advocates, and bird enthusiasts to 

develop recommendations for wind siting and permitting focusing 

on wildlife impacts. Over the course of four planned meetings, 

Audubon hopes to develop recommendations, although who will 

receive those recommendations and to whom they will be made is 

not yet clear

In Rhode Island, the Renewable Energy Fund (www.riseo.state.

ri.us/riref/) is preparing to release a new funding initiative for 

feasibility studies for customer-sited, commercial-scale renewable 

energy installations.

Regional Wind Development Update 

For more information on regional development activity and 

operating projects, see the Projects in New England (www.

windpoweringamerica.gov/ne_projects.asp) page of the New 

England Wind Forum Web site.

Maine

Earlier this year, UPC Wind received its permits for the approximately 40-MW Evergreen Wind Power project being developed 

at the ski area in Mars Hill in Northern Maine. Bird migration 

studies, a condition of permitting, commenced in September. The 

developers are still in negotiations for turbines and financing but 

expect to be operational in 2006.

After completing pre-application meetings to finalize permitting 

scope, Endless Energy is preparing to file joint permit applications with Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection and 

Land Use Regulatory Commission (LURC) for its Redington 

Wind Farm. If successful, Redington would employ 30 Vestas V90 

turbines for a total of 90 MW.

In August, TransCanada, an Alberta-based power generator 

developing several large wind farms in Quebec, announced plans 

to develop Kibby Mountain, a large wind farm in western Maine 

near the Quebec border. The site is in the same townships in 

which Kenetech successfully permitted a 600-turbine, 200-MW 

wind project during the early 1990s, prior to its bankruptcy that 

halted development. If the wind resources are sufficient to make 

the project commercially viable and if permits and a 28-mile 

transmission interconnection can be arranged, an estimated 100 to 

200 MW of wind turbines could be erected on Kibby Mountain, 

Caribou Mountain, and Kibby Range, starting with a first phase 

of 100 MW. TransCanada purchased development rights from 

General Electric (GE), which GE acquired when it purchased 

Enron Wind, who had previously secured Kenetech’s Boundary 

Mountain development rights out of bankruptcy. TransCanada’s 

recently filed application with the LURC to install meteorological 

towers was approved in November.

An even larger wind farm was recently proposed for northern 

Maine. Developers of the 500-MW Linekin Bay Energy project have initiated the early, exploratory stages of development, 

recently filing with LURC for approval to site meteorological towers, applying to interconnect with Maine Public Service Company, 

and discussing land leases with farmers in the remote Aroostook 

County region. Horizon Wind Energy, a large Houston-based wind 

developer, is partnering in the project. Unlike most other New 

England wind projects, which seek to site on mountain ridges or 

shorelines, Linekin Bay seeks to develop a project among potato 

fields. In other parts of the country, wind and agriculture have 

proven to be very compatible land uses. Permitting is targeted 

for 2006, with the project scheduled to be built in three phases 

between 2007 and 2010. However, a major challenge is the lack 

of a direct transmission link to New England loads; Maine Public 

Service system is not part of ISO New England.

New Hampshire

Loranger Power Generation Corp. is installing four reconditioned 

wind turbines with a capacity of 1.4 MW at Jericho Mountain in 

Berlin. These turbines, expected to be interconnected to Public 

Service of New Hampshire (PSNH) and become operational during November, represent a pilot effort that may someday lead to 

a larger installation of up to 22 turbines on a 140-acre site. 

In Lempster, Community Energy Inc. is moving ahead with the 

engineering design of the 24-MW CEI New Hampshire Wind, 

LLC wind farm, which will consist of twelve 2-MW turbines. 

The project, a recipient of a predevelopment loan from the 

Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, has secured building 

permits, and plans to file for state approvals by year-end. If successful, the developers hope that the plant will be operational by 

fall 2006.
 New England Wind Forum — Volume 1, Issue 1 — January 2006

UPC Wind initiated exploration of a wind farm in Lyman, but 

following community meetings, which revealed a mix of local 

support and opposition, this effort is currently dormant. 

Due to the good wind resource and relatively pro-development 

philosophy of the state relative to the rest of New England, a 

few other developers are exploring sites for wind farms in New 

Hampshire, but none have yet evolved to formal development 

projects. 

Vermont

The East Mountain Project, a 6-MW project on the site of an 

abandoned U.S. Air Force radar base from the Cold War era, 

moved to the final stage of Section 248 permitting as the Public 

Service Board (PSB) on October 4 issued an order closing the evidentiary phase and setting deadlines for the briefing phase of the 

proceeding. Following the parties’ briefs, the hearing officer will 

issue a proposed order prior to the board’s final order. The Agency 

of Natural Resources has so far withheld support without further 

study of wildlife impacts. 

Meanwhile, in late September the PSB issued a Certificate of 

Public Good to the East Haven Wind Farm for two meteorological towers in a wood lot straddling the towns of Brighton and 

Ferdinand, while a third tower on East Haven Mountain was 

deferred.

Endless Energy’s 9-MW Equinox Wind Farm, under development 

since the late 1990s, has given notice to local towns that it is preparing to file its state Section 248 permit in late fall of this year. 

Equinox would consist of five Vestas V80 turbines.

Deerfield Wind, LLC recently announced a significant step forward in the development of its 30- to 45-MW wind farm planned 

for Searsburg and Readsboro. The USDA Forest Service accepted 

Deerfield Wind’s filing of a special use application for constructing the project, which if approved would be the first wind facility on National Forest lands. The scoping notice was issued, and 

public comment was accepted through August 16, kicking off the 

process of developing an environmental impact statement. The 

full National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process 

is expected to last 18 months. Deerfield Wind, a wholly owned 

subsidiary of enXco, Inc., is a planned expansion of the existing project developed in Searsburg by Green Mountain Power 

Company in 1996.

UPC Wind Management filed its state Section 248 notice in early 

October, initiating the permitting process for its Sheffield Wind 

Farm project, a 40- to 50-MW installation slated for 2007 on 

Hardscrabble Mountain.

Catamount Energy’s Glebe Mountain project, envisioned as a 27-

turbine wind farm in Londonderry near Magic Mountain, has run 

into some snags. The Londonderry Select Board voted on October 

17 to adopt the Londonderry Planning Commission’s new Town 

Plan that prohibits large-scale wind generation facilities within the 

town’s Resource Conservation Overlay District, which includes 

the proposed Glebe Mountain site. In a newspaper interview, 

Catamount Engineering’s managing director indicated disappointment but vowed to pursue the project despite the vote.

Massachusetts

Three wind farms are in different stages of development in the 

Berkshires. The Berkshire Wind project, a 15-MW project to 

be located near the Brodie Mountain ski area in Hancock, has 

received all of its permits and commenced surface work for 

foundations and roads. Construction plans for 2006 are in place, 

but as with many other projects around the country, the developer 

is actively seeking turbines in what has become a seller’s market 

before proceeding with the final stages of construction.

The Hoosac Wind Project, a 30-MW project in Monroe and 

Florida planned for 2006 construction, has been granted nearly 

all of its permits. However, an appeal of its Superseding Order of 

Conditions from the Department of Environmental Protection is 

currently being heard, with a ruling anticipated for late fall.

The latest private-sector development to appear in Massachusetts 

is Minuteman Wind, a 10.5-MW wind project to be located 

in Savoy. Minuteman’s developers completed a land lease in 

February and were awarded a predevelopment grant. They are 

commencing the detailed design phase and plan to commence 

permitting activities in spring 2006.

The Cape Wind Project, a 130-turbine, 450-MW offshore facility planned for Nantucket Sound, received approval in October 

for its interconnection to the ISO New England electric grid. This 

approval marks another major milestone in the project’s efforts to 

win approval from 17 federal, state, and regional entities, despite well-publicized opposition from some of the state’s elected 

officials and local opponents. Cape Wind received a favorable 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) in November 

2004 from the Army Corps of Engineers and approval from the 

Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board for its undersea caFuhrländer FL100 wind turbine at the IBEW Local 103 headquarters, 

Dorchester, MA (courtesy IBEW Local 103)

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 New England Wind Forum — Volume 1, Issue 1 — January 2006

ble interconnection in May. The expected EIS record of decision 

due date is January 2007. While Cape Wind also appears poised 

to benefit from provisions in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (see 

EPACT 2005 update), the Minerals Management Service (MMS) 

announced in early November that it would conduct its own environmental review, effectively delaying the permitting process by 

about a year. MMS, which inherited permitting authority from the 

Army COE, plans to use all the information from the COE review 

but requires additional information to fulfill its new mandate. 

While the delay defers the likely online date, the new process 

under the MMS also offers both proponents and opponents the 

prospect of a more firm timetable for a final decision (expected 

next fall) under clearer jurisdiction. 

While the Cape Wind project tends to dominate the news, there 

are many wind development acticities currently underway in 

Massachusetts, involving commercial-scale installations of 

individual turbines, small clusters, and land-based wind farms. In 

May, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) 

Local 103 installed Boston’s first “urban turbine,” a 100-kW 

Fuhrländer FL100, directly next to Local 103’s headquarters. The 

installation, directly adjacent to the Rt. 93 Southeast Expressway 

in Dorchester, is one of the most visible in the country, seen by 

tens of thousands of commuters each day — a great billboard for 

wind power. IBEW expects wind to be a major source of jobs in 

the future and uses the installation to train its members to work on 

future wind installations in the region.

After a delay precipitated by a challenge to an initial plan in land 

court and zoning law changes, the Princeton Municipal Light 

Department received approval from the town’s planning board in 

early October to move forward with development of a two-turbine installation to upgrade the department’s 1980s eight-turbine 

wind farm. The department, along with private-sector partner CEI 

MassWind, LLC, will now file for building permits and plans to 

have the project operational as early as fall 2006.

The Hull Municipal Light Plant, a pioneer in commercial-scale 

wind energy generation in the Bay State, is moving ahead with 

a sequel. Hull 2, to be installed by spring 2006, will consist of a 

single 1.8-MW Vestas V80 turbine. The turbine has been ordered 

and all necessary approvals received. When installed, Hull 2 will 

be the largest wind turbine in New England. The site is unique in 

that the turbine will be the first installed on a closed landfill in the 

United States.

The Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) has signed a 

contract with Big-Dig contractor Jay Cashman, Inc. of Quincy to 

build a 660-kW wind turbine on MMA’s Buzzard’s Bay campus. 

Final approval was sought at the November 17 meeting of the 

Bourne Conservation Commission, with construction expected 

to begin in spring 2006. The Vestas V47, which will be the first 

turbine in Massachusetts to be owned by the state, is expected to 

displace more than 25% of the Academy’s electricity purchases. 

The project team also includes EMI, the developers of the Cape 

Wind project.

Meanwhile, an installation planned by the Massachusetts 

Technology Collaborative (MTC) for Cape Cod Community 

College in West Barnstable has run into a roadblock. The Federal 

Aviation Commission issued a determination of hazard, as the 

selected site intersects a holding pattern for the Hyannis Airport. 

Planners are looking for a feasible site to relocate the turbine that 

would avoid this problem.

In late October, the Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort announced 

plans to install a 1-MW turbine near its ski area’s summit reservoir 

by winter 2006. The installation, supported by a $582,000 design 

and construction grant from the MTC, will meet 30% of the ski 

area’s electricity consumption, with the turbine’s winter-peaking 

production also offsetting the ski area’s peak loads.

Two other projects moving forward include Gloucester-based 

Varian Semiconductor and M+M Realty Trust. Varian recently 

completed its feasibility study and is considering its next steps, 

while M+M Realty Trust received a design and construction grant 

for a wind installation to power an office building. Two Falmouthbased sites — the Falmouth Hospital and Webb Research — and 

Catamount Ski Area in Egremont are considering whether to 

proceed based on results of their recently completed feasibility 

studies.

Additional customer-sited locations recently receiving MTC funds 

to study the feasibility of 1-MW-class wind installations near the 

NBC-10 Tower in Rehoboth and the North Coast Seafood processing plant in New Bedford.

MTC’s Community Wind Collaborative continues to stimulate 

wind development clusters across a wide range of communities. 

Orleans, the most active of these efforts, voted to go ahead with 

a project, although the ownership approach still isn’t finalized. 

MTC sought turbine suppliers through a request for proposal and 

received only one response that is still being evaluated. The town 

held a meeting in November relating to a developer solicitation 

to own and build the project. MTC will assign a turbine if one is 

successfully procured.

In Lenox, an early Community Wind participant, the town voted 

not to allow a meteorological tower, probably spelling the end for 

this effort.

Lynn, Falmouth, and Fairhaven are each evaluating feasibility 

study results and considering whether to take the next steps toward 

developing individual turbines.

And through a volunteer committee, citizens in the Towns of 

Mattapoisett, Marion, and Rochester are collaborating to erect 

temporary meteorological towers to test whether winds are sufficient in any of the towns’ selected sites of Brandt Island, Old 

Rochester Regional High School, and the Marion Wastewater 

Treatment Plant to support a commercial-scale wind power 

installation. 

Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Renewable Energy Fund has supported the installation or exploration of several behind-the-meter commercialscale wind installations. A 660-kW turbine will be installed by 

this spring at Portsmouth Abbey. See Perspectives for an interview 

with the project’s “champion,” Brother Joseph.
 New England Wind Forum — Volume 1, Issue 1 — January 2006

The University of Rhode Island is moving forward with an effort to install a commercial-scale wind turbine on its South Kingston campus. This project builds on the efforts of the Student Renewable 

Energy Club, the project proponent. Club members conducted 

research, made presentations to the University’s administration, 

and got administration buy-in on the project. The University is 

concurrently undertaking energy efficiency measures through 

a performance contract with an energy services company, and 

the university may fold the wind installation into this effort. The 

Renewable Energy Fund has provided the university with the 

anemometer formerly employed at Portsmouth Abbey to measure 

the wind in support of this project.

The Raytheon Company is undertaking a feasibility study with 

funding from the state’s Renewable Energy Fund for installation 

of a few wind turbines at its Portsmouth facility. The Raytheon 

Employees Wildlife Habitat Committee maintains a Web site 

detailing the project at www.rewhc.org/wind/windhome.shtml

And in August, the Renewable Energy Fund approved funding for 

an anemometer to assess the viability of a site at the Narragansett 

Indian Reservation in Charlestown for a commercial wind 

installation. 

Small Wind Corner

Several New England states have programs supporting installation 

of small (<50 kW) wind turbines. For more information on each 

state’s programs, see the New England Wind Forum Web site at 

www.windpoweringamerica.gov/newengland.asp

Vermont has actively encouraged small wind installations through 

two programs. The primary incentive for small wind is the 

Vermont Solar and Small Wind Incentive (http://rerc-vt.org/

incentives/index.htm), which was fully subscribed in August 2004 

but is again available with a second round of funding. In addition, 

the Vermont Department of Public Service recently established a 

Wind Demonstration Funding grant program (www.vermontwind.

com/Wind_Fund.pdf).

Vermont Technical College now offers an Anemometer Loan 

Program ( http://web.vtc.edu/users/jnk06190/VTALP ) to allow 

those considering installations to evaluate the winds on their 

property.

During the spring, a 10-kW turbine was installed at the Alburg 

Welcome Center with the help of a federal matching grant. It 

is the first wind turbine to power a state-owned facility. In the 

early fall, another 10-kW turbine was installed as a result of the 

Department of Public Service (DPS) program at the University 

of Vermont Burlington campus (www.uvm.edu/theview/article.

php?id=1763).

Massachusetts supports small wind through a Massachusetts 

Technology Collaborative small renewable energy initiative, 

as well as funding schools to assess their wind power potential 

through their green buildings programs. MTC’s small renewables 

initiative made three awards this year for 10-kW or smaller turbines. The first, a 1.7-kW African Wind Power 3.6 turbine, 

was installed in June at the Cape Cod Regional Technical High 

School in Harwich, as the focus of a Small Wind Installers 

Workshop sponsored by Cape and Island’s Self Reliance Corp. 

(Workshop photos are available at www.vma.cape.com/~relweb/

photogallery/photo30343/real.htm).

Rhode Island’s small wind installation policies became more attractive this summer with the passage of a state income tax credit 

for 25% of the cost of a wind system up to a $15,000 cap. This 

new incentive is available on top of the $2 per watt available for 

small wind installations under the Renewable Energy Fund’s open 

incentive program (subject to available budget). 

Hot Topics

• Wind equipment costs increase, availability dwindles.

Wind equipment prices skyrocketed just when high fossil fuel 

prices are driving an increase in demand and could drive more 

community receptiveness to siting projects. Factors include increases in worldwide steel prices, shifting exchange rates (most 

equipment is currently made overseas), and demand exceeding 

supply for turbines and other wind generation equipment in the 

world market. The boom-bust cycle driven by the intermittent 

Production Tax Credit exacerbates these equipment shortages as it undermines the confidence in the long-term market 

demand necessary to justify sufficient expenditures in domestic 

manufacturing capacity to keep up with near-term demand. 

Many wind projects nationwide, including several in New 

England, are struggling to find equipment, and smaller projA 10-kW Bergey wind turbine installed at the University of Vermont 

campus in Burlington. Photo credit: Brian Killkelley

PIX14341
10 New England Wind Forum — Volume 1, Issue 1 — January 2006

ects and developers appear to be at a disadvantage in securing 

available turbines. Manufacturers are reportedly telling project 

developers that their full production capability is committed 

through 2007 and are taking orders for 2008 delivery. 

• Wind power has job creation potential in New England.

Wind energy projects are generally quite capital-intensive 

and can keep more of the dollars spent on energy in the 

local economy (see the Union of Concerned Scientists 

Study, Renewing America’s Economy at www.ucsusa.org/

clean_energy/renewable_energy_basics/renewing-americaseconomy.html). Even though today the commercial-scale wind 

turbines used in projects described in this newsletter are not 

manufactured locally, the wind industry is a growing source 

of high-tech jobs. For example, Northern Power Systems of 

Waitsfield, VT, makes wind turbines and drive trains. NRG 

systems of Hinesburg, VT, and Second Wind of Cambridge, 

MA, are leaders in wind assessment technology and software. TPI Composites of Warren, RI, manufactures blades. 

Composite Engineering of Concord, MA, is developing a new 

reaction-injection molded wind turbine blade for mediumscale turbines with DOE funding and plans to test prototype 

blades at the existing towers of the Princeton Wind Farm in 

Massachusetts. As larger projects move forward in the region, manufacturing appears set to follow. For example, many 

components of the proposed Cape Wind project are slated for 

local manufacture or assembly. In addition to manufacture, 

wind generator installations create jobs in the installation and 

service sectors. Several wind manufacturers have recently announced plans to open or expand wind equipment manufacture 

in the United States, including Gamesa (Pennsylvania), Clipper 

Windpower (Iowa), and Suzlon (Minnesota). The locations of 

these plants have been selected because of proximity to markets or transportation access to markets. 

• Energy education campaign attempts to brand clean energy 

into the mainstream. An educational media campaign developed through the Clean Energy States Alliance, a collaboration 

of state clean energy funds including those in Massachusetts, 

Connecticut, and Rhode Island, attempts to bring renewable energy into the mainstream consciousness. The campaign (www.

cleanenergyri.com), which was delivered via TV, radio, and 

print, was launched in Rhode Island in spring 2004 and continued through 2005. The message—Clean Energy. It’s Real, It’s 

Here, It’s Working—responds to market research suggesting 

that the general public understands the environmental benefits 

of renewables but is skeptical about whether renewables are 

sufficiently powerful and available in sufficient quantities to 

make an impact in the mainstream. Lessons learned from the 

Rhode Island launch will be used to refine the renewable energy message and its delivery. 

• Wind is a hedge against high fossil fuel costs. With fossil 

fuel prices pushing record highs and electricity prices following, the value of wind as a fuel-free price hedge is becoming 

broadly apparent for customers in competitive markets that 

comprise most of New England’s loads. Tapping wind power 

as a hedge for customers is being examined. “Green” marketers are exploring how to convey this value to customers in the 

region’s competitive markets. Customer aggregations such as 

the PowerOptions buying group of the Massachusetts Health 

and Education Facilities Authority and the Rhode Island 

Renewable Energy Customer Aggregation are exploring 

long-term hedge contracts with renewable energy generators 

or intermediaries. For more information, see www.

windpoweringamerica.gov/ne_markets_motivations.asp .

• Government and institutional purchases of wind or other 

renewables set an example. A number of government entities 

have recently passed resolutions or executive orders to purchase 20% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010, 

including 16 Connecticut municipalities and Worcester, MA. 

The State of Connecticut has taken these targets a step further, 

targeting 50% renewable energy by 2020 and 100% by 2050. 

In July, the Providence (RI) City Council took the nature of the 

commitment beyond policy statements by unanimously passing an ordinance that now requires 20% of the electricity used 

in municipal facilities to come from renewable resources by 

the year 2010. Meanwhile, in early 2005, Harvard’s Kennedy 

School of Government committed to purchase 100% of its 

electricity needs from wind power, funded by a mandatory $5 

per semester surcharge on each student’s tuition bill. 

• Where can I buy wind? Alternatives are available today to 

buy wind-powered electricity from electricity suppliers in 

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Maine. Links 

to options can be found at www.windpoweringamerica.gov/

ne_markets_buying.asp
11 New England Wind Forum — Volume 1, Issue 1 — January 2006

Wind Stats

Market Prices for Wind Renewable Energy Credits

Price Applicable to Massachusetts RPS-eligible Wind RECs: 

2005 Vintage: Bid $51.00/MWh, Ask $53.00/MWh

2006 Vintage: Bid $47.00/MWh, Ask $51.00/MWh

(Market information as of October 28, 2005 provided by Natsource LLC)

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

Number of Projects

>50 MW

5 – 50 MW

500 kW – 5MW

50 – 500 kW

Number of Projects by State

Operating and Planned

MA ME NH VT MA ME NH RI VT

Operating Planned

900

800

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

MW

MA ME NH RI VT

>50 MW

5 – 50 MW

500 kW – 5MW

50 – 500 kW

Wind Capacity Under Development

Planned MW by State
12 New England Wind Forum — Volume 1, Issue 1 — January 2006

Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy 

by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a DOE National Laboratory

A Strong Energy Portfolio for a Strong America

Energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy will mean a stronger economy, 

a cleaner environment, and greater energy independence for America. Working 

with a wide array of state, community, industry, and university partners, the U.S. 

Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy invests 

in a diverse portfolio of energy technologies.

For more information contact:

EERE Information Center

1-877-EERE-INF (1-877-337-3463)

www.eere.energy.gov

 Events

• March 7-9, 2006: New England Sustainable Energy 

Association’s Building Energy 2006, the Conference and Trade 

Show for Renewable Energy and Green Building Professionals 

at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston. For more information: http://buildingenergy.nesea.org

• Massachusetts Wind Working Group meeting dates are posted 

at www.ceere.org/rerl/mwwg.html

• For a regularly updated calendar of other wind energy events in 

New England, visit the New England Wind Forum Web site at 

www.windpoweringamerica.gov/newengland.asp

Cool Links

In each issue, we’ll feature links to a few cool Web sites. In the 

near future, additional links will be added to the New England 

Wind Forum Web Site.

• The New England Wind Forum: www.windpoweringamerica.

gov/newengland.asp

• The KidWind Project: www.kidwind.org

 The KidWind Project is a team of teachers, students, engineers, 

and practitioners exploring the science behind wind energy in 

classrooms around the United States. Their goal is to introduce 

as many people as possible to the elegance of wind power 

through hands-on science activities, which are challenging and 

engaging and teach basic science principles. KidWind was 

founded in 2003 through a teacher fellowship at the Wright 

Center for Science Education, Tufts University. KidWind 

Workshops trained over 85 teachers throughout the northeast 

during 2004. They continue to host workshops in the region 

and have developed teaching kits. 

• Watch a video clip of the first large-scale electricity-producing 

windmill (and the world’s largest at the time), which was 

installed in 1941 at Grandpa’s Knob, VT, at www.ceere.org/

rerl/publications/movies/index.html

• Read an interview with Jim Manwell of University of 

Massachusetts, who was recently awarded the Wind Powering 

America Regional Wind Advocacy Award for the Northeast 

Region. Visit www.windpoweringamerica.gov/filter_detail.

asp?itemid=1087

New England Wind Forum – The Newsletter

Produced by Sustainable Energy Advantage, LLC under contract to the Wind Powering America Program of the National 

Renewable Energy Laboratory

Editor and pimary author: Robert C. Grace 

Contributing authors: Brian Killkelley

Subscribe at www.windpoweringamerica.gov/ne_signup.asp

Send news ideas and updates to Bob Grace at 

bgrace@seadvantage.com

DOE/GO-102006-2244 • January 2006