State to hold hearing on proposed Lempster wind farm
unionleader.com
By REBECCA T. DICKSON
Union Leader Correspondent
CONCORD – The state Site Evaluation Committee will hold a hearing June 21 to discuss a wind farm proposed for 25 acres on Lempster Mountain in Lempster. The state announced late last week that it would review the project because residents and town officials petitioned the state to step in.
The committee, which examines energy projects, has never reviewed a renewable energy project before. Typically, it oversees larger-scale power facilities, such as the Seabrook nuclear power plant. This is also the first time the petition process has been used to trigger such a review.
Pennsylvania-based Community Energy Inc. wants to build a dozen 200-foot turbines. If approved, the $30 million project would be the first major source of wind power in New Hampshire and one of the first new wind power sources in New England in more than decade.
Lempster, a town covering about 32 square miles and home to about 1,000 residents, is one of a handful of New Hampshire towns that do not have zoning regulations. That means Community Energy only needed a standard building permit for its turbines, which was granted last July. But the lack of zoning is what prompted the town to request a state review.
The state has directed Community Energy to appear and present evidence under oath regarding the size and capacity of the proposed wind generation project; the project's potential effects on the surrounding community, the environment and public health and safety; and the company's technical, financial and managerial expertise.
The project calls for power lines to run from the site along Route 10 through Goshen to Newport. It is anticipated to generate 24 megawatts of wind power. The turbines would have a total footprint of about 12 acres. The towers would be spaced about 1,000 feet apart and would sit about 20 miles north of Keene and less than 5 miles south of Mount Sunapee.
Developers of wind energy historically have met opposition from those concerned about the effects on wildlife and public views. A large, offshore wind farm proposed for south of Cape Cod has been delayed by protests.
The Lempster project is considered small, but company officials have said requirements such as wetlands permits and state Transportation Department approval for new roads would subject it to scrutiny. |
