Downeast Wind Farm Construction Underway in Washington County

Washington County is on the verge of witnessing the installation of around 30 wind turbines for Downeast Wind farm, by Apex Clean Energy. The company, based in Virginia initiated this undertaking in 2015 through its subsidiary, Downeast Wind.

The construction phase is currently in progress as confirmed by Natasha Montague, the Senior Community Relations Manager at Apex. The company obtained state approval in 2022 after the Maine Department of Environmental Protection thoroughly reviewed their permit application.

Wind turbines are currently being set up in a designated area spanning through the Town of Columbia and two sections of territory T18 and T24.

Reed & Reed a construction company based in Woolwich is overseeing the Downeast Wind farm project. During the phase of construction Apex anticipates that 80% of the workforce consisting of, around 300 workers will be comprised of individuals from Maine.

Cost of Downeast Wind Farm Project

The upcoming $240 million Downeast Wind farm project is set to cover an expansive 13,210 acres. With a projected lifespan of 30 years, the initiative aims to generate 126 megawatts of clean energy, providing ample power for over 37,000 homes.

“The team has completed the construction of stream crossings made enhancements to existing roads, and set up the concrete batch plant. The delivery of turbines is scheduled to commence in the spring of 2024 ” Montague informed.

“Turbine installation is scheduled to commence during the summer and progress until the autumn. The construction phase of Downeast Wind farm will be completed in winter including the commissioning and testing of both turbines and the transmission system.”

The turbines and transmission system are anticipated to be fully operational by 2025.

The towers, standing at 410 feet tall, will support three turbine blades, each measuring 246 feet in length. Montague states that the various components will be transported via the port at Searsport and subsequently delivered to the designated pads for assembly. Notably, all the turbines are scheduled to become operational simultaneously.