US Energy Dept. finalizes $102m loan for Maine wind farm

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has finalized a $102-million loan guarantee to Record Hill Wind LLC, which plans to develop a 50.6-megawatt wind power plant and an eight-mile-long transmission line with grid interconnections near the town of Roxbury in Maine.

The project, to be developed and managed by Wagner Wind Energy I of New Hampshire and Independence Wind of Maine, is also being supported with an investment by the Yale University Endowment.

The Record Hill wind project will consist of 22 turbines and new transmission lines to interconnect with Central Maine Power, the local utility. The turbines will be installed with innovative Turbine Load Control (TLC) technology, a system of sensors and processing software that allows the turbines to continue to generate electricity under turbulent conditions, rather than be shut down completely. TLC is also expected to reduce wear and tear on the turbines, reduce operation and management costs, and preserve the lifetime of the turbine components.