First Wind, a wind energy company in the US, has completed its 60 MW Rollins Wind project located in Penobscot County, Maine.
Company representatives, members of the community and local officials of the company participated in the celebration.
The project when it goes online officially will generate enough power to meet the energy requirements of nearly 23,000 Maine homes every year. First Wind has entered into long term power purchase agreements with the Public Utilities Commission of the state Central Maine Power and Bangor Hydro to supply the generated power for further distribution. The project will increase the renewable energy portfolio of the company to 185 MW.
The Rollins Wind project commenced its constructions in September 2010 and the construction was handled by the Woolwich-based company Reed & Reed. The company has served as construction contractor for all wind projects of First Wind in Maine. Reed & Reed has deployed over 500 contract workers during the installation of 45 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines. The project logged in over 260,000 man hours at the site and has utilized an average of 200 workers every day during the peak period of construction.
The project located in the towns of Winn, LEE, Burlington and Lincoln will assist the local economy by contributing around $24 million as tax revenue every year for a period of 30 years. During the construction period over $30 million has been spent by the project on 97 businesses based in Maine.