Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — Business and community leaders gathered Dec. 2 at the Campus Center at the University of Maine at Presque Isle to take part in the December Business Breakfast, hosted by Northern Maine Community College, UMPI and Leaders Encouraging Aroostook Development. Speaking at the event were two wind experts — Wayne Kilcollins, wind power technology instructor at NMCC; and Kurt Adams, executive vice president and chief development officer for First Wind — who spoke on the topic: The Future of the Wind Business in Aroostook County.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
THREE FACTORS are being used to determine the feasibility of wind energy projects in Aroostook County: NB Power’s future, adequate transmission lines and community support. That’s according to Kurt Adams, executive vice president and chief development officer for First Wind, who spoke at a business breakfast put on by LEAD, NMCC and UMPI Dec. 2. Pictured, from left: UMPI President Don Zillman and Adams.
Kilcollins joined NMCC in January 2009, to develop and lead the first wind power technology program in New England. The program has positioned the institution well in the wind power community in the United States and the international market. Kilcollins spoke on the opportunities available for NMCC students and future graduates who take part in wind technology courses. He also discussed findings and potential wind research studies resulting from a week-long trade mission in September with Gov. John E. Baldacci and other delegates to Spain and Germany.
“My trip to D.C. and Europe was made possible through funding from NMCC, Maine Public Service and the Northern Maine Development Commission,” Kilcollins told the breakfast audience.
Kilcollins said 38 individuals were registered for the fall semester. He expects interest to grow in the program as more wind farms are developed.
“There’s a need for individuals with the knowledge to maintain these structures,” he said.
He said the program is proof that colleges in smaller communities can provide the education and training to make a living and a career in the world market.
Kilcollins said it’s true, “You can get there from here.”
Adams offered an overview of what First Wind has accomplished over the past few years and what the company is looking to achieve in the future.
“Aroostook County is a very important site — home to our first wind farm in Maine. We’ve been in business since 2002 and employ over 175 people in various capacities,” said Adams.
Adams said finding the right place to develop is based on a number of factors, including wind currents, land availability, qualified technicians, among other things. He said GIS (geospatial information system) technology has proven to be an important tool in mapping out the best locations for development, giving his company the ability to determine everything from average tree height to road accessibility using data collected through the use of GIS. He said NMCC’s wind technology program and UMPI’s GIS lab make the county that much more appealing for future development.
Three factors, according to Adams, are being used to determine the feasibility of wind energy projects in Aroostook County: NB Power’s future, adequate transmission lines and community support.
“The future of wind energy in Aroostook County is dependent on those three things. There are currently a lot of questions now, including how Aroostook County wind will fit into that picture,” said Adams, noting that his company continues to look for ways to build wind farms to benefit the county.
“Community support in Maine is high, with wind energy receiving about an 85 percent approval rating from the public. Mainers have a very common-sense attitude,” said Adams, noting wind energy reduces the need for fossil fuels and is economically and ecologically sound.
He said the company is starting to see a pattern in Maine as to what type of wind system will or won’t be accepted in a particular area.
“We’re starting to see contours in Maine — what size wind energy (system) is accepted in what part of the state,” Adams said. “Mainers have acceptance if it’s the right size project. It’s not that way in many other states,” said Adams.
UMPI President Don Zillman, who has written several works on wind energy and who was instrumental in the planning and construction of UMS’s first wind turbine at UMPI, said problems can arise with any kind of energy source but that wind energy is one of the cleanest sources available.
“It’s a matter of finding what’s the right size (for the needs at hand) and what works,” said Zillman.
Adams spoke of the work that’s gone into First Wind projects over the years, from development of the first wind farm on Mars Hill Mountain, to projects in Danforth and Oakfield.
“We have more projects in the works for next year. Maine’s regulatory environment is really good compared to other states. What’s important in Maine is that the rules are clear. ‘Yes’ means ‘yes.’ We (First Wind officials) see Maine as a very important part of the future of wind energy,” said Adams.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
NMCC’S WIND POWER TECHNOLOGY instructor, Wayne Kilcollins, shared details of recent wind industry activities he’s taken part during a business breakfast held Dec. 2 at the Campus Center, hosted by LEAD and UMPI.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
WIND ENERGY was a hot topic at a recent business breakfast, put on in Presque Isle by LEAD and UMPI, with highlights on NMCC’s wind technology program and First Wind’s continued growth in the state as a leader in the wind-to-energy field. Here, over 50 business and community leaders from throughout Aroostook listen as Kurt Adams, executive vice president and chief development officer for First Wind, makes his presentation.
