The Peru Selectmen last night met with the Planning Board to discuss steps toward developing a local ordinance for regulating wind-power development. Although the Town has not been approached with any proposal for a wind-power project to date, both boards feel that putting a local ordinance in place will give Peru citizens a better opportunity to have a say as to whether, where, and how such development would be allowed. The nearby towns of Woodstock, Buckfield, Sumner, Rumford, Roxbury, Carthage, Dixfield, and Canton are all being considered as possible host communities for wind-power projects. It is reasonable to believe that Peru may be next.
Last month Peru joined a consortium of towns working on ordinance provisions that could be shared by all. The Bethel Area Wind Power Committee (with representatives from Bethel, Newry, Hanover, Greenwood, and Woodstock) came up with a work product (view here) that Peru intends to use as a starting point for its own ordinance. The regional committee was seeking a balanced set of guidelines that would be construed as neither pro-wind nor anti-wind.
Peru residents who wish to volunteer to serve on an ad hoc committee to help develop a local wind-power ordinance are invited to attend a meeting of the Planning Board on Tuesday, January 25, at 6 p.m. at the Peru Town Office.
Friends of Maine's Mountains has available on-line a sample wind ordinance that we have prepared for towns like Peru to utilize in their development process. Please see this link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.friendsofmainesmountains.com/learn/sample-ordinance
or e-mail us directly at info@friendsofmainesmountains.com and we can make copies available to your committee members.
-FMM