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My family and I were in Rangeley recently, on the lookout for moose (we saw nine!) It had been a while since I was on Route 17, but as we rounded a bend, I saw the Record Hill wind turbines on the ridge line of several small mountains. We all watched them slowly spin their blades.
“Ugh, they're ugly,” came one response from the back of the minivan.
“Really? I think they're kind of graceful,” came another.
And there you have it — another argument in the enduring debate and divide on wind power. Senior Writer Jim McCarthy takes a look at the divisive issue in the context of offshore wind power and the two Maine projects vying for money and support, in our cover story, “Facing headwinds.” It's a great comparison of the University of Maine's pilot project VolturnUS and Statoil's Hywind Maine project. The goals are somewhat different, but both are seeking money from the same pot of limited federal funds. Jim lays out what's at stake.
He also introduces us to new software under development by Introspective Systems Inc., a Portland company that is trying to help architects and designers navigate the pitfalls of designing LEED-certified buildings. That story, “Right from the start,” appears on page 20 and is part of this issue's focus on sustainability. Jim also talks to three companies that have used the sustainability benchmarking tools offered by Manomet and Maine Businesses for Sustainability. They share their lessons learned in “Measuring success,” starting on the cover and continuing on page 22.
It seems everyone agrees a surefire way to grow Maine's economy is to encourage entrepreneurship. So we're excited to see what William Henry Holmes can do with his new eatery/gas station in Bridgton. Standard Gastropub is expected to open July 1, the product of a business model we haven't seen in the Lakes Region. Check out his plans in On the Record, on page 25.
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