Residents in the midcoast town of Frankfort recently approved a strict wind power ordinance in response to a proposal from a New Hampshire company to locate up to six turbines on Mount Waldo.
In a 244-222 special referendum election last week, Frankfort residents approved the ordinance that effectively bans commercial wind power development in the town, VillageSoup reported. The ordinance requires wind farms to be set back one mile from abutting property lines, and limits noise from turbines to 45 decibels during the day and 32 at night, as measured from a one-mile radius. Abutting property owners are permitted to sign waivers approving less than a one-mile setback.
Eolian Renewable Energy of Portsmouth, N.H., proposed the small wind farm in March on land it’s been leasing since late 2010. CEO Jack Kenworthy in a statement said the company is “clearly disappointed” with the ordinance’s passage, and said the company will be evaluating its plans regarding its next steps for the project.
