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Renewable Energy In Maine
After years of development, advocates of tidal and river energy say the technology is on the verge of wider commercial use, especially if it can win federal support.
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With New England’s focus on offshore wind, a Maine company is making a name for itself in tidal energy.
Portland, Maine-based Ocean Renewable Energy recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the city of Eastport on a five-year, $10 million tidal microgrid development plan.
The project will give the small port city an opportunity to expand its workforce and attract younger residents. It is also an opportunity for ORPC to expand its reach. Company leaders are looking for potential markets for offshore and river generators in industries dominated by solar and wind power.
ORPC has been developing offshore electricity generation technology since 2004. It has since expanded to include international offices in Montreal, Dublin and soon Chile. The company’s river-based technology powers remote areas of Alaska.
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Although ocean and river energy has not achieved the same visibility as other renewable sources, proponents champion these and related resources, such as tidal energy, called tidal energy, which is claimed to be on par with solar and wind energy. It was 10 years ago. Predictable tides and currents in areas such as the Western Passage and Eastport Cove make these resources promising as the government seeks to build resilient networks, they said.
“We are entering a new phase in the decade when renewable energy is online and policy support for all forms of renewable energy is greater than ever before,” said John Farland, ORPC President. I’m here. ORPC has developed an underwater system that generates electricity using turbines arranged parallel to the seabed and perpendicular to the current. They sink to a depth that boats can pass through.
Since last year, the company’s river-powered generator, RivGen, has been powering the remote village of Iggy Woogie on the Kwichuk River in southwest Alaska. Off-grid villages traditionally draw energy from imported diesel fuel. But the addition of RivGen, storage and smart grid control this year and next will cut diesel consumption by 90% every second, according to ORPC. Diesel generators provide backup generators for the two main lines.
Eastport, on the other hand, is connected to the grid but is at the end of the old grid and close to valuable tidal resources, making it suitable for new projects, Ferland said. (Tide and river energy differ in several ways, but both derive their energy from the movement of currents.)
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For Eastport’s new manager, Thomas Hoskins, the lottery is both an economic and an environmental issue. The city, located about 180 miles northeast of Portland, has been inhabited for about 1,300 years (more than three times that in summer), but has not had a strong manufacturing base for more than 20 years.
Hoskins wants to make the city more attractive by providing jobs for younger residents. This project should include around 100 jobs. Hoskins has other major projects planned for cities dedicated to sustainability. “You’re talking to a whole new generation now,” he said of the millennials who want to come to Eastport. They pay special attention to environmental issues.
With the pandemic making country life more appealing to some big-city dwellers, Hoskins sees an opportunity to showcase Eastport’s potential as a permanent destination. The local airport will also be upgraded to serve commercial flights and improve access to the city.
The tide has been debated in Maine for about ten years. In 2010, then-Gov. John Balducci signed legislation to advance ocean energy research in the state. This law allowed ORPC to enter into power purchase agreements with local power companies. At the time it was Bangor Hydro Electric, now Versant Power.
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The Federal Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory is also researching hydropower. “Each of these resources distributes enormous amounts of energy to different locations around the country,” said Levi Kilcher, a marine energy researcher at the Institute.
Ferland says previous research shows strong prospects for development in other New England locations, including the Western Passage, Cape Cod Canal in Massachusetts and Martha’s Vineyard Water.
“To be honest, the amount of energy in tides and waves is not as great as wind and solar,” says Kilcher. “We see value in diversifying our energy sources.”
He said tides are predictable, as are other water resources such as rivers, waves and the Gulf Stream. “I believe that the more types of energy sources we have, the more flexible our energy system will be.”
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“Tidal energy has generally been a core player in Maine’s energy community,” said Jeff Marks, Maine commissioner and senior policy advocate for the Acadia Center. “But in terms of the energy business in Maine, it’s had a very good reputation over the past decade, and ORPC is leading the way.”
“Solar and wind power are getting a lot of attention right now because they are commercially viable and available today,” Mark says, but developing these resources will take time. “This is how decarbonization and clean energy progress works in New England, across the country and around the world.”
As well as his recent work creating floating platforms for offshore wind turbines, he said: “If developed further, it will create a skilled workforce that would be competitive or competitive with other renewable energy sources and technologies.” , new technologies and product lines will be created. .
ORPC first tested the Eastport tide in 2012-2013. At this point, a manufacturing defect blew the device out of the water. The company has since spent years upgrading its facilities, including the system deployed in Alaska.
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As of last month, ORPC signed a five-year memorandum of understanding with Eastport for microgrid development. The proposal includes tidal, solar and storage, with tidal being the main source of baseload generation, Ferland said.
Several events will be held over the next year to kick off construction, raise funds and share project plans with the community. This will include a feasibility study and a series of public workshops to gather input from residents and provide an opportunity to learn about tidal energy and microgrid technology.
Hoskins also plans to incorporate educational elements into the project, such as museums where the public can learn about microgrids. He hopes to “get some kids interested in all things water and ocean and give them a springboard into college to understand marine life and aquaculture.”
This is because ORPC seeks to expand its value proposition not only by providing generation but also by partnering with other industry members to provide Eastport and Igiugi with more profitable energy solutions.
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“I think the most important challenge is what we face as a company and as a business,” says Ferland. “We have a commercial product. We want to expand into the market.”
Kilcher said the tidal installation could resemble a wind farm. Turbines float on or above the ocean floor. In some cases, like Alaska, only one or two turbines will be needed, he added. But overall, “I think the industry has to be able to scale to be successful,” he said.
Ferland says that for ORPC to be truly successful, it needs to produce products at a market level. To keep costs down, we have to produce not just one project at a time, but 10 or 50 projects at a time. Ideally, federal funds would be willing and able to finance large-scale deployments and “sell that this is a great renewable energy option for tidal and river sites and that it’s ready for commercial use,” he said.
Renewable energy projects are often funded, so “we hope that DOE and Congress consider a number of different competing funding programs when drafting legislation each year,” he said.
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Now that other resources are in place, “we’re next in line,” Ferland says. “Sectors need policy support and public sector funding to enable these sectors to grow and thrive.”
David writes on health, science and the environment for a variety of news outlets, including the World Wide Fund for Nature and The Windy City Times of Chicago. he gave a speech on that topic
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