New power line expected to benefit Loring developers

17 years ago
By Debra Walsh
Staff Writer

    Officials charged with redeveloping the former Loring Air Force Base all but formally endorsed last week a plan to connect Aroostook County’s electricity system to the rest of the state’s power grid to support new wind power projects.     Utility officials described the plan during a meeting of the Loring Development Authority of Maine. Similar discussions were held throughout the county, including one at the Northern Maine Development Commission and at a press conference in Presque Isle.
    Maine Public Service Co., the county’s main supplier of electricity, and Central Maine Power Co. are exploring the possibility of linking the two service areas. MPS is connected to the rest of the state through transmission lines that pass through New Brunswick and is separated from the rest of the state by a 25-mile gap between Houlton and Haynesville.
    The plan proposes to build 150-200 miles of a new transmission lines between Limestone and Detroit in central Maine at an estimated cost of up to $500 million. Such a plan would require approval by the Maine Public Utilities Commission.
    The new construction would allow the transport of electricity generated by new wind projects to the southern part of the state and New England, officials said.
    Several parties have expressed interest in building new wind power projects in Aroostook County, including a project in Bridgewater near No. 9 Mountain.
    “They are very serious and they have very serious money,” said Brent Boyles, president of Maine Public Service Co.
    One LDA member, Phil Cyr, asked what was so unique about the county. Boyles explained that other areas of the country have complained about the projects, adopting the NIMBY (not in my back yard) attitude. While. the county does not have an excess of wind, it does have more acceptance of such development, he said.
    Boyles said that there would be environmental hurdles to overcome.
    “If they can’t get permitted here, they’ll go elsewhere,”? said Boyles.
    The utility official said that the LDA is viewed as offering leadership for Aroostook County and that it’s important that county residents understand the benefits that a new transmission line can bring.
    Hayes Gahagan, who wants to bring Loring’s former heating and generation steam plant into production, expressed support for the project during the meeting.
    “This would be very good for Loring BioEnergy,”? said Gahagan, regarding his company. “We can’t consume all of these electrons here. We can’t bear the cost of connection ourselves.”?
    Officials hope to file a formal proposal with the Maine Public Utilities Commission by July. If approved, they said they hope that construction could be complete by 2010.