Balsams Grand Resort teams up with ski industry legend Les Otten

I believe one day we will go full circle with nuclear power and will build thorium fueled reactors instead of uranium ones. The nuclear fuel should have always been thorium but you can't make bombs out of it.

Nuclear power plants were designed to be base load plants running at full capacity all the time. This was the way to go when the utility had to own the means of production. With all the cheap shale gas, gas plants became the WalMarts of the power industry. Little environmental regulation when compared to coal and nuclear. They easily under bided everyone else. The only reason wind power exists is due to government subsidies. NextEra Energy is the largest holder of wind powered assets and they are in it only for the subsidies. Without subsidies wind power could never be profitable. When the subsidies go away so will the wind power industry. Wind power output has to be stored in batteries and then inverted to be outputted on an electric grid, no different than solar power. Just the nature of the beast.

uphillklimber said:

They are never very clear how much of the solar and wind power is paid for by John Q. Taxpayer. As a stand alone self sufficient power source, I am almost certain they would not make it. Shucks, even with the subsidies, they are two of the most expensive ways to produce it even now, after decades of research and improvement.

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Solar is absolutely economical in most parts of the country, even without tax credits. Yes it is one of the most expensive forms of electricity of you judge by the unit cost. It's main advantage is that it's production peak closer follows the demand and price. Solar output peaks on sunny days in the summer when the spot price is highest. That way it can command a premium and still be economical.

Wind is a tougher source. It's production peaks at night when prices are low. It's not unheard of for electricity prices to go negative at night in areas with lots of wind. In these areas wind power provides more generation that the market needs, and at zero marginal cost. In this situation it can be cheaper for goal and nuclear plants to pay people to take the extra power rather than cycle the plant.


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OldsnowboarderME said:

I believe one day we will go full circle with nuclear power and will build thorium fueled reactors instead of uranium ones. The nuclear fuel should have always been thorium but you can't make bombs out of it.

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Any fuel, except for uranium, would take more employees = more $$$ spent to develop the processes. Fact is the NRC goes with the same model as US corporate standards = spend as less $$$ as possible to enhance quarterly profits. That's it! I've worked for the Dept. of Energy in the past. They're nothing more than a normal American short-sighted corporation.

Interesting. Did not know that Northern Pass and Balsams were somehow related.

And I am wondering how Les is going to fund this project now that EB-5 investment programs with resorts may not be a viable option moving forward because of the Q/Jay debacle.

thetrailboss said:

Interesting. Did not know that Northern Pass and Balsams were somehow related.

And I am wondering how Les is going to fund this project now that EB-5 investment programs with resorts may not be a viable option moving forward because of the Q/Jay debacle.

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Didn't know he mentioned EB-5

Smellytele said:

Didn't know he mentioned EB-5

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I think a while back that this might have been an option. I thought I saw an article saying that this might be one of their routes for money. I really think that Les, with his ASC downfall, will have a really, really hard time getting traditional capital for his project.

I have yet to see EB-5 mentioned officially for the Balsams.

Prior to Les coming on board, there were some articles about using eb-5. But since Les took over, I have not seen any mention of that.

Come on, failed CEO's always seem to come back to the front of the pack and do just fine (in their eyes anyway). New corporate structure around him, Les will do fine. Granted MeSYS is not huge, but it's not like he just went into retirement. Their is investment money out there to get. And with the state supporting and partially backing, the money will flow.

DoublePlanker said:

Prior to Les coming on board, there were some articles about using eb-5. But since Les took over, I have not seen any mention of that.

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OK. That makes sense.

machski said:

Come on, failed CEO's always seem to come back to the front of the pack and do just fine (in their eyes anyway). New corporate structure around him, Les will do fine. Granted MeSYS is not huge, but it's not like he just went into retirement. Their is investment money out there to get. And with the state supporting and partially backing, the money will flow.

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So you think that it has been long enough since ASC? Admittedly though the ASC downfall was a complicated disaster that was due to a number of factors other than Les.

thetrailboss said:

OK. That makes sense.



So you think that it has been long enough since ASC? Admittedly though the ASC downfall was a complicated disaster that was due to a number of factors other than Les.

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If it's been a couple of months, yes. All kidding aside, he was dismissed from ASC several years before the eventual death of the company. So yes, I think more than enough time has elapsed. Look at some of the areas he created (not bought). Park West was a hidden gem which was polished enough to make Vail desire it. And Sunday River, well there are haters but it is the second biggest by skier visits in New England today. I personally think he and his team will be able to find financing. Banks and lenders may not be falling over themselves, but it will be accessible.

Bump. Looks like things are progressing.

http://www.caledonianrecord.com/new...cle_b878acf4-0164-5de1-9375-15b2f3820311.html



LANCASTER — Work on the trails and lifts at the Balsams Grand Resort’s Wilderness Ski Area could begin in the coming months, a spokesman for the resort’s redevelopment team said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, developers met with the Coos County Planning Board in Lancaster to discuss the site plan application for the expansion of the ski area.

While the board did not deem the application complete during the nearly four-hour meeting, there was a meeting of the minds and the development team will be submitting more information, planning board member Leon Rideout said Wednesday.


“We’ve never done a site plan review for a ski area so we’re trying to do our due diligence, but move the project along, too, so it’s not held up,” he said. “There are a few more details to come in and I think we’ll be moving forward with it. Both sides now have a clear understanding of what it takes to be complete.”

The next gathering of the board and development team could be in late August.

The hope is that at the next meeting the board will deem the application complete, said Rideout.

The estimated $143 million redevelopment aims to make the Balsams the economic driver of the region and restore the hundreds of jobs lost when resort closed in 2011, and also add more jobs in the coming years. It would be the largest economic development project in the county.

“We keep making progress,” said Rideout. “I know the progress is not as fast as some people would like it to be, but the board and the developers are cooperating with each other.”

The development team on Tuesday did receive positive feedback from county planners in terms of specific items planners need to deem the application complete, said Balsams project spokesman Scott Tranchemontagne.

At the present time, the team is only asking the board to review the plans for the trails, lifts and snow-making operation, he said.

“We want to keep the process moving forward and the trails and lifts take the longest time to work on,” said Tranchemontagne. “We want to start the trails and lifts as soon as possible, this fall, and go back later with the parking and buildings.”

The buildings that will be reviewed later include the Wilderness and Mid-Mountain lodges.

“We look at every one of these meetings as progress,” said Tranchemontagne.

In June, county planners approved a site plan for the renovations to the historic Dix and Hampshire houses in the Balsams village. More site plans for other projects in the village, including a spa, will be submitted at later dates.

The expanded ski area is projected to open for the winter of 2017-2018.

No way that opens by 2017-2018

I agree. I hope they are planning to revive the existing ski area first.

Jully said:

No way that opens by 2017-2018

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Remember this is Les talking....


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March 2, 2014. Same thread, post #14. My position hasn't changed.

ss20 said:

This is a fake article, right? :lol:

Quadrupling the size?! That's ambitious to say the least. Otten may have made Sunday River the mega-mountain it is now, but could a project like that get done today? With all the economic and environmental concerns? Not likely.

I'd be surprised if he even get's the existing area back open.

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Whether it gets built or not won't come down to permitting. Things actually get done in areas that can't afford to pick and choose businesses as they see fit.

Tell that to Hydro Canada and Northern pass.


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It's Hydro-Quebec and the Balsams redevelopment does not depend on more power from the Northern Pass - it is just being used as leverage sadly.