On 24 September First Wind joined community and industry leaders in Oakfield, Maine, to commemorate construction of the company’s 148 MW Oakfield Wind project in Aroostook County, Maine. Representing First Wind’s sixth project in Maine and the company’s largest in New England, the Oakfield Wind project will provide $27 million in tax and community benefit payments to the town of Oakfield and the surrounding community over the next 20 years.
“First Wind is excited to be building the Oakfield Wind project, which is not only our sixth project in Maine, but what will be our largest project to bring clean, cost-competitive renewable energy to New England,” said Paul Gaynor, CEO of First Wind. “The Oakfield project has been something we’ve wanted to build for almost a decade, and we’re thrilled to say that it will be finished by the end of next year."
Dale Morris, Oakfield town manager, welcomed the construction of the Oakfield Wind project. “The Town of Oakfield has already experienced first-hand the economic benefits this project brings to Aroostook County," Morris stated. "Nearly 90 per cent of the funds from First Wind’s first community payment were used for tax relief for town residents, and the town will soon be investing property tax dollars into the community’s infrastructure – new road work, a new fire station and other capital improvements.”
Situated about 2.5 miles from the center of the town of Oakfield, the Oakfield Wind project will be constructed on the low-lying ridges of the Oakfield Hills, and will utilize pre-existing commercial logging roads and infrastructure. Once complete, the Oakfield Wind project will provide $27 million in tax and community benefit payments to the town of Oakfield and the surrounding communities over the next 20 years.1
Work on the 148 MW wind project will include the installation of 48 Vestas V-112 turbines and will create about 300 direct, full-time jobs during construction. It is expected to reach commercial operations by the end of 2015.
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1. Earlier this year, First Wind made the first community payment in the amount of $600,000 as part of the community benefit agreement. The clean cost-competitive power that will be generated by the project is contracted to be sold to four Massachusetts utilities as part of a 15-year contract, and will generate enough clean energy at cost-competitive rates to power the equivalent of about 50,000 New England homes.