COLUMBIA, Maine (WABI) – A new wind project is coming to Columbia.
As it nears completion, those working on the project along with the community were invited to sign a blade of a turbine.
”We’re nearing the end of construction, so we’ve come out for a blade signing with all of our local supporters, our contractors, some of our employees, all of our landowners, to celebrate the commencement of this project near into operation. So, we had a number of folks here signing the blade and commemorating their time here,” said Ken Young, president and CEO of Apex Clean Energy.
Planning for the project began nearly a decade ago, and community grants have been established along the way.
”They’ve been working directly with Washington County government and local towns for eight or nine years, worked through towns as they figured out their permitting process and figured out how they wanted to move ahead. It really is an example for other companies, particularly the fact that they had staff on the ground for that entire period,” Charles Rudelitch, executive director of Sunrise County Economic Council.
Young says local contractors have been heavily involved in the construction.
”The thing is, we did this with domestic turbines from Vestas, our partner, and also built the project with Reed and Reed and Sargent, large Maine contractors. So, one of the messages we wanted to get across today is, this is a project built by Mainers for Maine, and that’s part of who we are is coming to the communities in which we work and being great stewards of the land and great partners in that community,” Young said.
Young also says there is an agreement in place as to where the power will go.
”We have an offtake agreement with a large customer, but this is Maine power, and it’ll be for Maine,” Young said.
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