Project History

Project History: The Sugarloaf Community Wind Farm grew out of an earlier Endless Energy project known as Redington Wind Farm which was first proposed in December 2005. Polling by the Potholm group in 2006 showed that the concept of a wind farm being built on Redington Mountain enjoyed 9:1 public support statewide as well as strong support from dues-paying members of environmental groups.

The project received:

• A draft approval from LURC staff,
• Two DEP permits,
• An Army Corps of Engineers permit,
• FAA approval,
• Carrabassett Valley approval for its power line, and
• Positive review by numerous state agencies.

In 2007 a permit for this project was denied by the Land Use Regulation Commission on the grounds of visual impact, although their staff had recommended approval. Endless Energy believes that the great benefits of this project outweigh the fact that it would be seen from a few sections of the Apalachian Trail. Additionally, environmental studies conducted show that this project would minimally impact local wildlife. While the Sugarloaf Community Wind Farm will have some minor improvements designed to further reduce impacts and increase production, the primary difference between the two versions of the project is the community structure which provides low-cost power on a long-term basis.