Wind farm may power ski area Evergreen inks deal with Big Rock

Evergreen Wind Power, developer of the proposed wind farm in Mars Hill, has signed a deal to supply power to nearby Big Rock Ski area, the companies announced Thursday.

The project, including 33 wind turbines atop Mars Hill Mountain, would be Maine’s first wind power development.

The state Board of Environmental Protection gave final approval to the project’s 400-foot-high turbines last week, rejecting arguments that they could be harmful to birds and bats. However, the company won’t start construction until its financing, which hinges on the approval of a federal renewable energy tax credit, is finalized.

The formerly commercial ski area was sold to the nonprofit Maine Winter Sports Center in October 2000, with the assistance of Libra Foundation Grants, at a time when the company was struggling to survive.

The lower-cost power that will be available to Big Rock from the wind turbines is important to keeping the new Big Rock solvent, and building a winter ecotourism industry in the region, Maine Winter Sports Center President Andy Shepard said Thursday.

“We’re making progress every year, but we still have a long way to go before we reach that break-even status,” he said.

Buying power from Evergreen could mean a savings of $25,000 to $30,000 annually, he said.

“There are a lot of financial pressures on that mountain,” Shepard said. “Anything that can reduce the overhead makes it more likely that this is going to work.”

If the wind project goes through as anticipated, Evergreen officials said they thought the ski area would become the first in the country to be “hard-wired” to a wind farm via underground cables.

The Mars Hill wind farm would produce an estimated 50 megawatts of power, enough to supply 25,000 households with electricity.

Big Rock’s power needs – its ski lifts, snowmaking equipment and lodge – will total less than 1 percent of that.

“It’s the proverbial drop in the bucket,” said Ric Tyler, whose Bangor public relations firm represents Evergreen.

The company has previously said that it intends to sell the power locally, and perhaps also make it available to Canadians, but no other buyers were revealed Thursday.

Evergreen spokesman Peter Gish was traveling abroad Thursday and could not be reached for comment. However, he said last week that he expects to see Congress consider the federal tax credit this fall. The issue will likely take a back seat until after the election, but it is believed to have bipartisan support, he said.

The company also said Thursday that an application with the Maine Public Utilities Commission will be filed later this month, with the expectation of an answer by early 2005.

If no unforeseen problems emerge, construction could begin as soon as next spring.

“We’re cautiously optimistic,” Gish said.