Project Benefits
Downeast Wind delivers significant benefits to the community beyond generating reliable, locally generated electricity. These benefits include a new source of income for landowners, additional tax revenue to support local priorities, hundreds of construction jobs, and long-term operations careers, among others.
Generating Affordable, Clean, American Energy
Wind energy is among the most affordable sources of electricity in many places across the United States. Utility-scale renewable energy prices are significantly below those for coal generation, and less than half the cost of nuclear.
Because wind turbines require no fuel, adding them to a utility's mix lowers fuel costs and shields customers from price swings.
New Revenue for Community Priorities
Across the country, clean energy projects make property tax or other payments to local taxing jurisdictions, providing a new, significant long-term source of revenue. Projects often generate millions of dollars in new revenue for local priorities.
These priorities could include supporting local schools, improving roads, funding emergency responders, or even lowering the tax burden on other residents and property owners.
Supporting the Local Economy
Much of the project is located in and around the county's wild blueberry barrens and Downeast Wind was designed to be compatible with wild blueberry harvesting.
The wind farm provides direct economic benefits to landowners, including Cherryfield Foods and three small wild blueberry growers.s of local ratepayers such as .
Learn more about how Apex Clean Energy works with landowners to design wind projects:
Construction Jobs and Opportunities
Apex selected Maine-based Reed & Reed as the lead contractor for the project and worked with numerous local subcontractors and suppliers throughout construction, including Sargent (Orono, ME), Comprehensive Land Tech (China, ME), and Owen J. Folsom, Inc. (Old Town, ME), among others.
As a result, Downeast Wind dgenerate significant economic benefits for the State of Maine during construction, with over 250 workers on site to support construction, over 75% of whom were Maine residents. The project spent over $108 million with Maine businesses during construction, including local concrete providers, road and civil contractors, site preparation, and transportation of the wind turbines themselves, which contain multiple U.S.-manufactured components. Components have been transported by rail or sea through Mack Point Terminal in Searsport.
Learn more about the turbines at Downeast Wind on our project fact sheet:
Long-term Clean Energy Careers
Renewable energy jobs are among the fastest-growing employment opportunities in the country, with installation and technician positions consistently ranked among the top five fastest-growing occupations. The total number of positions is expected to grow by 40% to 60% over the next decade.
Technician jobs are also good-paying jobs, with a median wage of more than $60,000 per year.
A Commitment to Host Communities
One of Downeast Wind's goals is to be a dependable, long-term partner to residents, local governments, and community organizations where our projects are located. One small way we do this is through our Community Grant Program.
The program supports projects and programs that build safe and healthy communities, create economic opportunity, encourage environmental sustainability, and promote education. Through the program, Downeast Wind has donated over $100,000 to organizations in the project area to date. Learn more and apply today: