C le a n E n e rgy. M ad e H e r e .

Accelerating
Energy Innovation
First Wind is tapping an abundant domestic energy
resource to make our energy supply sustainable,
safer, and more competitive.
First Wind is proud to play a leading
role in accelerating energy innovation, meeting renewable energy
goals, and revitalizing the economy
all while generating enough electricity to power over 165,000 U.S.
homes and protecting the environment for future generations. As an
experienced developer, owner, and

operator of wind farms, First Wind is

committed to the communities that
support our projects, and strives
to help towns and states realize
economic benefits from our investments. Headquartered in Boston,
Massachusetts, First Wind develops
and operates wind projects in the
Northeast, the West, and Hawaii.

First Wind Installed Capacity Since 2006

(Megawatts)

1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0

2006

2007

2008

Operating

2009

2010

2011

2012

Construction

First Wind capacity milestones based on project construction terms and commissioning dates

Mars Hill Wind, Mars Hill, ME

Milford Wind, Milford, UT

Energizing Economies from

Hawaii to Maine
First Wind works with vendors and contractors from across the country to develop
and build renewable energy projects. Wind energy projects are a valuable source
of economic development in rural communities.
First Wind puts capital to work with
local businesses from the deserts
of southern Utah, to the coastlines
of Maui, to the woods of northern
Maine. The wind energy industry has
a deep domestic supply chain spanning basic materials supply, turbine
and component manufacturing, and
logistics and transportation.

CA S E

First Wind also partners with local

landowners, consultants, subcontractors, maintenance companies, and
service providers to develop, build,
and maintain our projects. We work
closely with state and local agencies
to maximize investment and sustained
economic benefits from ongoing
project operations. Our wind farms
also serve as a key source of new
tax revenue for local communities.

S T U DY

Since 2006, First Wind has spent

$125 million directly with 300+ Maine
businesses and organizations.
Maines growing wind industry has been a bright spot for
the states economy, even
during the recession. Wind
farm development provides
a new market for Maines
logistics, construction, and
environmental services
businesses. In addition to
the $125 million spent with
Maine businesses, First Wind

projects provide ongoing

benefits including TIF
revenues amounting to $2
million each year for Maine
communities, and $1.3
million in new income
each year for landowners.
First Winds development
projects could more than
double these impacts.

FW Operating Project
First Winds Maine-based
Value Chain
Recipient of TIF (tax increment
financing) Benefits

Our Commitment to
Communities
First Wind strives to establish meaningful and lasting partnerships in the
communities that support our projects.
What will the wind farm look like?
How will construction impact the
town? How does the wind farm
approval process work? Will the
wind farm benefit the tax base?
These and many other issues are
addressed through town forums,
website updates, and one-on-one
conversations with officials, homeowners, and business leaders
across the community.

Once the wind farm is built, we

continue to engage with local communities through local memberships,
event sponsorships, support for
local organizations, and our annual
scholarship program. Since 2010,
First Wind has provided $85,000
in scholarship awards for collegebound high school students from
our project communities, and we
will continue to grow our scholarship program with our expanding
footprint in future years.
First Wind offers scholarship opportunities
to students in our project communities.

Typical development cycle

DEVELOPMENT

CONSTRUCTION

OPERATIONS

Prospecting & Site Selection

Land Procurement
Wind Resource Assessment & Monitoring
Commodity Sales & Management
Turbine Procurement
Transmission & Interconnection Management
Permitting
Construction Oversight; Commissioning
Operations & Maintenance; Asset Management

Kids enjoying the Cohocton Fall

Foliage Festival Parade from the
First Wind float.

Community residents and local students

tour the Milford Wind project during
construction.

1. First Winds representative presenting

a contribution to a Bangor community
groups home heating assistance fund.
2. First Wind at the Renewable Energy Fair
at Milford High School in Milford, Utah.

3. The Pacific Century Fellows at the

Kaheawa Wind Farm in Maui.

First Wind staff and volunteers

replant native plant species at
Kaheawa Wind.

Cleaner, Safer Energy for

Future Generations
Putting the Clean in
Clean Energy

are increasingly scarce in places

like Utah and the western states.

Wind power has a number of

environmental benefits associated
with avoided fossil fuel extraction,
processing, transportation and pollution. Because wind energy is an
as-available resource, each megawatt-hour of wind energy displaces
generation from another source
usually diesel fuel (Hawaii), coal
(California), or natural gas (Northeast). And unlike most conventional
power plants, wind farms dont
require water for operations thereby conserving water resources that

Responsible development

CA S E

When siting and building a new

facility, First Wind minimizes potential impacts on local ecosystems
and landscapes. Our in-house team
of environmental experts conducts
thorough screenings and reviews
of sites to ensure our projects
can coexist with the surrounding
environment. In many cases, our
projects are sited on land that was
already cleared for logging or other
commercial purposes. First Wind

even built the two-phase Steel

Winds wind farm on an abandoned
Bethlehem Steel mill site, a firstof-its-kind wind project that reclaimed an industrial site and partial
brownfield for clean, renewable
power production. Every project
undergoes extensive environmental
analysis and review by independent
consultants and state agencies
before permitting is approved and
construction begins. Environmental
monitoring continues throughout
the operations phase.

S T U DY

First Winds Kaheawa Wind project: providing clean

power for Maui, while safeguarding native species.
Surrounded by a vast ocean,
the people of the Hawaiian
Islands have a centuries-oldtradition of self-reliance and
a deep respect for nature. First
Winds Kaheawa Wind project
in Maui reinforces these values.
It overlooks one of the most
desirable tourist destinations
on earth and is embraced by
the community. Kaheawa Wind
provides approximately 9%
of Mauis electricity needs,
reduces the islands depen-

dence on expensive imported

oil, and produces zero emissions. Employing an innovative
Habitat Conservation Plan,
Kaheawa is emblematic of First
Winds dedication to producing
clean energy while preserving
the environment.

may be affected by
the project.

>

Produces over 125,000,000

kilowatt-hours of electric
energy annually, enough
to serve over 11,000
households.

>

Eliminates the need for over

235,000 barrels of oil.

>

Operates in harmony
with endangered native
bird species.

Kaheawa Wind:

>

The first operating U.S. wind

farm to complete a Habitat
Conservation Plan to protect
the endangered species that

Harnessing clean energy

as limitless as the sky
First Wind is already making a difference in meeting electricity demand
by harnessing a domestic energy
resource that is both clean and
renewable.
With timely permitting approval, First
Wind has the ability to build a fully
operational wind farm in 2 to 3 years,
making it possible to supply ample

amounts of clean energy relatively

quickly when compared with other
energy sources.
We can never run out of wind, and
the cost of the fuel will never go up
because its free. That translates
into greater electricity price stability
for American consumers.

The future growth of renewable energy

According to the Energy Information Administration, non-hydro renewable
energy is expected to nearly quadruple by the year 2035.* This growth will be
driven by federal and state renewable power programs, expected increases
in the cost of fossil fuels, and future greenhouse gas regulations and carbon
reduction policies. Wind power is expected to be one of the largest sources
of that growth.

Steel Winds, Lackawanna, NY

Our Projects

Cohocton Wind, Cohocton, NY

Mars Hill Wind, Mars Hill, ME

Kaheawa Wind, Maui, HI

Steel Winds, Lackawanna, NY

Stetson Wind, Washington County, ME

Milford Wind, Milford, UT

Kahuku Wind, Oahu, HI

Rollins Wind, Lincoln, ME

First Wind builds projects in

regions that have shown strong
support for wind energy.

* Source: Energy Information Administration

http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/overview.html#fuel

Not every town is right for a wind farm.

First Wind seeks to build in areas
that have a strong and steady wind
resource combined with support from
local communities.

Sheffield Wind, Sheffield, VT

10

179 Lincoln Street, Suite 500

Boston, MA 02111
p. 617.960.2888
f. 617.960.2889
www.firstwind.com

2012 First Wind