Selectmen get final briefing on airport solar project

The Wiscasset select board received a final briefing Thursday evening, May 13 at Wiscasset Municipal Airport on a proposed five-megawatt solar project there. Voters will decide June 8 if they want the town to enter into negotiations to lease property to Cenergy of Carlsbad, California.

In the airport’s maintenance hangar, selectmen heard from Stephen Barrett of Barrett Energy Resources Group of Concord, Massachusetts. He said he had been acting as a consultant to Cenergy, which is pursuing other solar projects in Augusta, Waterville and a dozen other Maine locations. He said airports are often ideal due to an abundance of suitable land. “Our project would be built almost directly across from where we are on the opposite side of the taxiway,” he told the board as he pointed towards the runway.

“We see this as an opportunity to join with the town to develop a project that is a win, win for both the community and the company,” he said. He added, customer demand was increasing for green power. Barrett noted Cenergy has been working on the Wiscasset solar project since 2019.

Barrett said the project would involve clear-cutting and stump removal of 20 acres of town property. The town would be reimbursed for the value of the timber. He noted Cenergy had received permitting from Maine Departments of Environmental Protection and Transportation to construct an access road from Route 144 to the planned solar farm.

“Some of the trees we’re removing are penetrating into the airport’s air space. Removing them enables the airport to maintain compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration,” added Barrett. “Clearing away the trees along the runway really does a favor to the town,” commented Ken Boudin, who served 32 years on the town’s airport committee.

Town Manager Dennis Simmons said the lease arrangement would be a huge financial benefit to the town. “It will put the airport in the black for the first time in its history,” he said.

Selectmen’s Chair Pam Dunning said her biggest concern was for the future. “I don’t want another bone yard after this closes,” she said referring to the environmental mess left behind after the closures of Mason Station and Maine Yankee electrical generating facilities.

“I’ve had it with companies coming into our town then closing and leaving us to clean up the mess from what they left behind,” she said.

Cenergy is willing to put up a decommissioning bond, although terms still have to be negotiated with the town, noted Simmons.

A question on the June 8 town ballot asks voters if they approve of selectmen entering into negotiations for the lease of the property for construction of the solar farm; Cenergy also needs the planning board to approve the site plan review application.

Earlier in evening, selectmen toured Peregrine Turbine Technologies, LLC with its CEO David Stapp. He invited the select board, town manager and guests into his working lab based in an airport hangar. Then he gave a power point presentation on his company. Stapp and his staff of a dozen engineers are developing a high efficiency turbine engine using an sCO2 power generation system. He said the goal is to reduce the size and weight of the standard turbine engine and make it 25 to 60% more energy efficient.

“The last several years we’ve been in the performance, validation stage,” he said. He added, he was very satisfied in having chosen to base his research facilities in Wiscasset.

Peregrine has a second location at the former Mason Station property where Stapp hopes to expand in the near future. He promised to invite the select board back to see his experimental turbine unit when it is running. “I’ll warn you in advance, it’s going to be loud.”