First Wind has announced that through a bidding process overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources two of its planned Maine wind power projects have been selected by Massachusetts utilities to provide clean wind energy to homes and businesses across the Commonwealth.
The contracts, which still must be approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, will provide clean energy from the 147MW Oakfield Wind project in Aroostook County and the 186MW Bingham Wind project in Somerset County The energy from the Oakfield Wind project, which received siting approval from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in January 2012, is contracted to be sold to Massachusetts customers of four utilities as part of a 15-year contract. Construction of the Oakfield project is scheduled to start by the end of this year and should be completed and online in 2015. The planned Bingham Wind project would feature 62 turbines totalling 186MW of energy capacity. Massachusetts utilities have agreed to purchase the power as part of a 15-year contract. The Bingham project is in the advanced permitting stages with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
