Blue Sky East LLC/Bull Hill

Development Permit Application DP 4886

Last Updated: October 17, 2011

On January 31, 2011 the Commission has received a Development Permit Application from Blue Sky East, L.L.C., an affiliate of First Wind of Boston, MA, for a 34.2 megawatt (MW) grid scale wind power project. Known also as the 'Bull Hill Wind Project', it is a 19 turbine wind power project proposed for Bull Hill and Heifer Hill ridges in T16 MD, Hancock County. The proposed turbines are Vestas V100 machines with a 1.8 MW rated power. The turbines will be on 95 meter towers and have 100 meter rotor diameters. Total height with blades fully extended would be approximately 145 meters (476 feet). The project will also include up to three 95 meter lattice type permanent meteorological towers. Power from each turbine will be collected in an underground 34.5 kilovolt (kV) collection system and flow to a new substation and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) facility located centrally in the project area. The new substation will "step up" the power to 115 kV and transmit it directly to Bangor Hydro Electric Company's Line 66. Line 66 is an existing 115kV transmission line that can accept the power from the project without structural upgrades. By locating the substation directly adjacent to Line 66, no new 115 kV transmission line will be necessary for the project. The entire Township of T16 MD is designated as expedited for permitting.

The Blue Sky East, LLC development permit application and other related documents may be viewed at the following the links and submitted comments as directed below. A paper copy of the application is also available for review by appointment at the LUPC Augusta office Maine Department of Conservation, 18 Elkins Lane/Harlow Building, Augusta, Maine (207) 287-2631; at the LUPC Downeast Regional Office, 106 Hogan Road, Suite 7, Bangor, Maine (207) 941-4052; at the Hancock County Commissioners Office, 50 State Street, Suite 7, Ellsworth, ME 04605 (207) 667-9542 and the Eastbrook Municipal Office at 959 Eastbrook Road, Eastbrook, ME (207) 565-3307.

Written comments on the application may be submitted by US Postal Service Mail to "LUPC, 22 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0022" or by email to lupc@maine.gov for consideration by the Commission. The Notice of Initiating Review below includes the deadline for requesting a public hearing and Intervenor status.

Questions about this matter, or requests to be added to or removed from the notice list for this project, may be directed to Donald Murphy, Project Planner, Donald.Murphy@maine.gov, (207) 287-2619.