Andy Stone

January 29, 2010

In Vinalhaven, a small island community off the coast of central Maine, the recent installation of three massive wind towers was hailed by residents and developers as the answer to the island's energy woes, but as soon as the turbines started turning this past November, some local residents began to regret what they now feel was a "devil's bargain." In the first days of operation, many of the surrounding property owners – there are 15 within a half mile of the towers – were shocked to find that the sound of the giant propellers' turning was far more audible and intrusive than developers led them to believe it would be. They reported hearing a noise described variably as "whooshing," "roaring," "thumping" and "grinding" at all hours, even from inside their homes with the windows closed. Some compared it to living in the vicinity of a highway or airport, and one resident described how the sound intensifies as wind speed rises, building to "an in-your-face noise, like jet engines roaring combined with a grinding and pulsating sound that echoes in your head, keeps you awake at night, and beats on your house like a drum."

The reality of the noise levels, say the islanders, is in stark contrast with what proponents told them about the project – namely that the sound of the propellers would be largely masked by ambient background noise, and that at times when the propellers were louder, ambient noise would be correspondingly louder as well. To its credit, the Fox Island Electric Cooperative, which owns and operates the towers, has been responsive to residents' complaints, but no quick or easy solution has presented itself. The Cooperative is currently making physical modifications to the turbines, but the changes are likely to have only a marginal impact. Simply slowing the turbines down is also an imperfect solution since it would mean reduced power production and lower economic benefits to island residents.

In the bigger picture, the situation is another in a series of complications and challenges for advocates of wind power development in Maine. The industry has grown rapidly in the state; in the past four years alone, developers have completed or are currently building projects worth over $500 million, with a collective production capacity of over 200 megawatts. These installations range from single small towers erected by municipalities to massive industrial sites like the 40-turbine, 60-megawatt Rollins Mountain Wind Farm. In addition, Maine has received an $8 million grant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy to create three ocean-based wind energy research stations, and Governor John Baldacci has made wind and other renewable power a central focus of his administration's energy policy.

In the midst of this rapid proliferation, more and more cautionary tales like that of Vinalhaven continue to emerge. A similar situation arose recently in the town of Mars Hill, where a group of residents filed a civil suit against the operators of a local wind power facility, claiming they were sorely misled when promised that noise "would not be an issue." Since the large 28-turbine facility began operating, those residents have suffered physical symptoms including headaches and "frayed nerves" from the constant and inescapable noise, and have complained of a decrease in overall quality of life and an unforeseen reduction in property values.

Other towns in Maine have taken notice of the difficulties in places like Vinalhaven and Mars Hill and have begun to preemptively draft noise ordinances and other guidelines geared specifically toward potential local wind power installations. Part of the underlying problem is that state noise laws are outdated and designed for traditional industrial noise, which is typically in the higher frequencies of the spectrum. Wind turbines emit low frequency noise, which is less easily absorbed, causing it to travel farther and to penetrate more easily through walls and other obstacles. Some Mainers have called for legislative action, asking the State legislature to consider bills reducing maximum noise limits. They point out that lowering the limit by only three decibels – from 45 to 42 – would cut the overall noise volume in half (sound measurement is based on a logarithmic formula).

It remains to be seen what action the legislature will take, and what solutions will be found for places like Vinalhaven and Mars Hill, where residents feel betrayed and fear the permanent loss of their once-quiet and peaceful existence. It is clear that, as tales of such situations circulate, wind power advocates and developers are faced with an ever-tougher challenge in winning over public opinion and bringing local populations on board for prospective future projects. Wind power is an undeniably important technology that has already proven its value as a clean, sustainable and profitable energy source, but it must continue to be developed in wise and thoughtful ways. In the midst of the current rapid expansion and growth of the industry, individuals, groups and communities involved in all levels of the effort should remain cognizant of the risks and challenges that arise when, as in Vinalhaven, the promise of wind power technology collides head-on with the reality of its implementation.

Sources:

Monique Aniel and Steve Thurston, Noise Regulations Needed as Wind Power Industry Expands, KENNEBEC JOURNAL, Jan. 17, 2010, available at http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/view/columns/7337109.html

Christopher Cousins, Three Offshore Wind Power Test Sites Unveiled for Maine, BANGOR DAILY NEWS, Dec. 16, 2009, available at http://www.maineville.com/detail/132851.html

Dora Anne Mills, Wind Turbines Neuro-Acoustical Issues, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, June 2009, http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/wind-turbines-neuro-acoustical.shtml

Julia Bayly, Residents Air Concerns at Wind Power Hearing, BANGOR DAILY NEWS, Jan. 21, 2010, available at http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/135230.html

Douglas Rooks, Wind Power and Municipalities, MAINE TOWNSMAN, Oct. 2009, available at http://www.memun.org/public/publications/townsman/2009/wind.htm

Tux Turkel, Turbines Turn into Headache for Vinalhaven, PORTLAND PRESS-HERALD, Jan. 24, 2010, available at http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=311094&ac=PHnws

Matt Wickenheiser, Wind Turbines dwarf Vinalhaven Landscape, KENNEBEC JOURNAL, Nov. 16, 2009, available at http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/7106712.html

Sally Wylie, Opinion: Hard Lessons from the Fox Islands Wind Project, The Working Waterfront, Dec. 8, 2009, http://www.workingwaterfront.com/online-exclusives/Opinion/13571/