Fox islands wind power project receives overwhelming support

When it comes to the new wind power project, the Fox Islands Electric Cooperative has the wind in its sails.

That's because members of the co-op voted overwhelmingly to back a proposed wind power project that could generate all the electricity needed to power both North Haven and Vinalhaven. The vote was 382 to 5 in favor of wind power, at the co-op's annual meeting, held on July 28 on Vinalhaven.

"We are thrilled to receive this remarkable show of support from the community," said Dr. George Baker, a profession of business administration from the Harvard Business School, who has been working with island leaders and Philip Conkling, president of the Island Institute, on the project.

"There's a lot of work yet to be done, but we have received a great level of support and it could not happen at a better time," said Chip Farrington, the co-op's general manager, in a press release.

Baker said the next step will be working with community leaders on the planning process for the windmills. In meetings before the vote, Baker said the project would consist of at least two wind turbines, located on a hill near a former quarry on Vinalhaven. Baker has said it will be largest wind power project in a coastal area in the northeastern United States. Total power output will be between 3.5 and 5 megawatts of power.

Baker said in the release that the project will reduce the cost of buying power for the co-op between three and six cents per kilowatt hour and will stabilize the price of electricity for the next 20 years.

As the co-op moves forward, Baker said obtaining the wind turbines will be a challenge. Most projects need at least 25 to 50 turbines, and the bigger projects use 150. "In fact, the only element that might get in the way is the difficulty of obtaining turbines," Baker said.