The purpose of the conference is to provide participants information regarding how wind resources can be developed to grow rural economies - including businesses, municipalities, agricultural producers and homeowners. Speakers at the daylong conference will cover numerous important topics.

Among the speakers, Senator Phil Bartlett will describe wind power as Maine's new growth industry and will outline wind as a resource along with its political landscape.  Nationally recognized speaker Larry Flowers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory will describe the economic benefits of wind in growing our rural economies.  Ralph Nelson, PE from Devine Tarbell & Associates will outline the steps of developing a wind project.  Sue Jones of Community Energy Partners will describe economic models that many farmers and municipalities elsewhere in the United States have used to develop locally owned wind projects.  Alec Giffin, Director of the Maine Forest Service, will provide an update on the activities of the Governor's Task Force on Wind Power Development in Maine.  

Speakers who will be describing available economic support for the development of wind projects include Cathy Renault from the Department of Economic & Community Development, Denis Bergeron from Efficiency Maine and Mike Aube from USDA Rural Development.  Other conference speakers will include Don Zillman, President of the University of Maine at Presque Isle who will speak about the wind turbine project currently being developed at UMPI; Ray Mersereau, Mars Hill Town Manager who will share the "Lessons Learned from the Development of the Mars Hill Wind Project"; and  Mike Alvarez from UPC Wind Management will address "The Making of Mars Hill:  What Went into the Project".  Other conference speakers will be covering additional topics.

The tour the following day will include a presentation from UPC Wind Management at their Mars Hill Wind Farm on Mars Hill Mountain.  Also part of the tour will be a presentation from David Gordon who will describe his ten years of experiences with his windmill at his home in Oakfield.

Registration is $60 for the conference and tour, $40 for the conference only and $30.00 for the tour only.  Please make checks payable to the "St. John Aroostook RC&D Council". 
For more information or to register please contact the St. John Aroostook RC&D; 735 Main St. Suite #3; Presque Isle, ME 04769. Telephone number: 764-4126 ext #5.  Fax number: 768-3407. E-mail:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   .