TEMPLE – Representatives of a renewable energy company will be at the town hall on Monday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the possibility of installing wind power turbines in Temple. The meeting is informational in nature and no town action is anticipated.
Representatives of Renewal Energy Systems want to gauge public interest in developing an industrial wind farm in Temple. They are aware of the ordinance, Selectman Jean Mitchell said.
The town has had an ordinance for more than three years that effectively prohibits industrial wind power development, restricting the maximum height and electrical generation capacity of turbines. Therefore, Mitchell said Thursday, that ordinance would need to be modified or overturned by residents at town meeting in order for any such development to proceed. The town’s planning board could also be involved.
Additionally, Mitchell noted, the ordinance itself mandates that a petition consisting of at least 10 percent of the number of voters in the previous gubernatorial election be filed before any such amendment is even considered.
“There’s no way that anything could happen without a vote,” Mitchell said.
Representatives of Renewal Energy Systems had approached a couple landowners. The meeting was scheduled in an effort to keep the public informed, she added.
“We feel it’s important to let the citizens know what’s going on,” Mitchell said.
The meeting will be held on Monday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall. For more information contact the Temple town office at 778-6680 or Selectman Jean Mitchell at 778-2462.
Forget the ordinance. Why would you welcome a business to town that is guaranteed to fail without being subsidized by our tax dollars?
If it’s free electricity for Temple residents, bring it on!!!!!!
The powers that be are going to force their will on Temple.
The legacy of Angus The King.
Shameful.
Wind power is subsidized by government, inefficient, run by foreign corporations and (IMO) ruin the beautiful vistas that make Maine unique. In addition, there are significant environmental issues (birds, bats, humans, trout). Do not be fooled by the sales pitch that will sound terrific. This is a losing proposition.
The electricity from these wind farms are sent out of state. Maine gets no benefit, all we get is windmills. Carthage for instance. The electricity is sent to Massachusetts and the views from Weld, Wilton, Jay, Carthage etc. are ruined due to seeing windmills.
keep up the good work Temple
The people of Temple are a thoughtful, strong, nature-loving bunch and I know they will not let what happened in Carthage happen to them. Wind power is anything but free. Those who only care about the money mystify me. Where is their sense of place, their desire to preserve this special area for future generations? Where will people go to get back to nature? Laws or no laws, none of these industrial projects would be built without greedy landowners willing to sell out their neighbors for quick cash.
Okay lets bash wind power. Now, we cannot generate electricity by nuclear means, it is too dangerous. We cannot use oil, because it has been too expensive. We cannot use coal, because it is too dirty. We cannot use the oceans, as we may endanger a shrimp, fish or whale. Would someone please enlighten me as to when you flip the switch in your home, or business, where is the electricity going to come from? Maine has always sold power out of state, so there is no big difference there. Just food for thought.
When the Cape is full of windmills, and there isn’t room for one more, I would consider putting a windmill on our beautiful peaks. Not until then!
John A., A natural gas run generating plant. Cleanest fossil fuel, relatively cheap, would outperform hundreds of stupid windmills. Plus obviously, non nuclear.
I live in Temple and have for the last 6 years. I have recently seen a lot of clearibg for homes and what not and am sad to see the beauty of the nature around us diminish. Its just a bunchbof corporate yahoos thinking they can get a small town to sell out. It will not benefit us in Temple the power will likely be out source else where. My vote is No wind turbines and I am willing to bet the life long Temple residences will tell them No too.
We need to talk about what this really means. These are industrial sized projects. It means that Temple no longer would be a quiet rural town but instead an industrial site. Who wants to live in an industrial site? These companies promise the moon and that is exactly what Temple would get – a moonscape. No thank you.
We bought land in Temple more than 25 years ago and moved to Temple almost 20 years ago to enjoy the peaceful community along with the outstanding views from the tops of the mountains. Yes, we might pay in taxes, but at least we know that the mountains will always be accessible to see Mt Washington, Sugarloaf, Mt. Blue … We don’t have the flicker, the constant hum while the turbines are turning. Clean energy it may be, but at what cost? What happens when the windmill breaks, catches fire, or becomes obsolete? Take a look at some of the wind farms in California and you will get your answer. These are not the little ones like they constructed at Mars Hill, look closer to Saddleback Ridge and this will become our skyline. The mountaintops are gone, the hillsides destroyed, our serenity will never be the same.
Temple put an ordinance in place to allow personal wind power, but to keep the industrial wind out. We as residents need to let these companies know that we love our community for what it is and not for what it will become.
“…A king calls all his economic advisers together and asks them to define economics in a “short and simple” way. The advisors all launch into lengthy explanations which do nothing more than to confuse the king even further. He orders their executions. Finally the last advisor speaks up, and says he can define economics in nine words: “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.”
I didn’t say the joke was funny. Economic jokes never are.” Eric Rosenkranz
Temple will loose the best thing it has going for it. We all have a stake in this development. We choose to stay or move here. It’s not the jobs or money or convenience that brought us together here. We are all here, at the town at the end of the road, because we love the rural wild character of the town.
Once the roads are cut into the ridges and towers rise up into view, the wild character we all came is gone.
It is our chance to save what we have, lets not let it be gone forever.
If you think wind turbines in Temple = free electricity for residents, Temple Elvis strongly encourages you to do some research. Or just go talk to someone in Carthage and see how they’re enjoying their new supply of unlimited free electricity. The same goes for the gentleman who equates the struggle to save the Western Maine Mountains to “bashing wind power” and is unaware of the numerous methods of generating electricity that are not only less expensive per kW/h than wind power, but don’t rely on taxpayer subsidies to survive. Thank ya, thank ya very much.
All you have to do is drive rte 133 a mile away from the hospital and look west….UGH NOW.
USED TO BE ONE OF THE FINEST VIEWS ANYWHERE…
NOW IT’S GONE.
Ugly yes…but the widest post is these things can’t even stand on their own without subsidies..
This WINDFARCE is one of the ask time greatest examples of people being duped by the powers that be.
I am not an environmentalist really…
I just think these things ONLY benefit the crooks that are responsible for pushing them.
People are DDDOUBLE DUMB.
When Senator Angus King approached the people of Bryon for five minutes of their time to tantalize them with his silver tongue praising the glory of having wind turbines in their town, the people of Byron said NOT five minutes, NOT five seconds, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. It worked. No turbines for Byron.
John A. They are a grain of sand on the beach in power in exchange for a total change in sense of place. Temple.
NIMBY, Ayuh!
Not In Anyone’s Back Yard! Those humongous turbines are heavily subsidized by our own government and the likes of Baldacci and King reap the profits. Follow the money, folks!
Is there any proof they ever pay for themselves? When the lifespan (20years) is up, who is going to remove the TONS of concrete poured on top of our mountains? Like the elm trees, the delicate mountain top plants will be forever gone too.
dig up tesslas designs. oh yeah its free power all around us and the elite cant patten it. so sad
Although for totally different reasons liberals and conservatives finally agree on something!
a year or 2 ago when these windmill “questions” came up the supporters were all over everybody who opposed them…
Where are they now?
It’s obvious to even the most casual observer that these things don’t work well here,,cant even pay for themselves and do more damage than good all the way round..
If I was you I would continue to shut up about it now.