Thursday, October 01, 2009

Three Offshore Sites in Midcoast Considered for Wind Power Tests

by Melissa Waterman
Feature Writer

Thursday, October 01, 2009


Nearly 80 people turned out Tuesday evening for a public meeting held at the Samoset Resort on possible sites for offshore wind energy projects in state waters.

Seven possible areas have been identified to date, three of which lie in the midcoast region. One of the midcoast sites arcs around Monhegan Island; another lies near Metinic and Ragged islands; a third extends south of Damariscove and Pumpkin islands.

The Maine Offshore Energy Demonstration Siting Initiative is charged by the legislature with selecting, by December 15, one to five sites in Maine waters (within three miles of the shore) for the use of private companies and the University of Maine. Companies will be able to test the components of offshore wind turbines - the blades, anchoring system and tower - in deep water with strong winds.

The panel - Jake Ward, University of Maine, Robert Marvinney, Department of Conservation, Kathleen Leyden, director of the Maine Coastal Program in the State Planning Office, Linda Mercer, Department of Marine Resources, and Beth Nagusky, Department of Environmental Protection - gave an overview of the selection process.

Marvinney pointed out that the test sites would "provide an opportunity for industry to come and test equipment in the Gulf of Maine. This is not to create commercial wind farms, it's only demonstration projects."

The seven possible sites identified meet several criteria: they lie within the state's three-mile limit; are at least 200 feet or 30 fathoms deep; average annual wind speed is greater than 17 miles per hour; no navigational obstructions are present.

"The final demonstration sites will be two to five square miles in size but there will be an exclusion zone only within a 500-foot radius around the turbines," Marvinney said.

A private company's lease will extend for five years; the university's will be for seven years. A company may place two units in its lease area; the university will be allowed six units. Before equipment is placed in the water an environmental monitoring program must be approved; all equipment must be removed at the end of the lease.

Additional information about natural and scenic resources, marine mammals, recreational and public access and other factors must be considered by the panel before making its final selection. The Tuesday night meeting was the last of five held along the coast to gather public comments about the impact of possible sites.

Bob West of Rockport asked the panel if the energy produced will be available for use by local communities, such as Monhegan. "The idea is that the companies will be out there testing their platforms," replied Marvinney. "They may or may not have a cable [to convey power]."

As of now, only Norway has a single floating wind turbine in operation - the 2.3- megawatt Hywind turbine, which was set up this June for a two-year test period.

Sid Quarrier of Appleton wondered about the lighting for the turbines. "They will have to have lights [to prevent planes from hitting them]. We should protect the dark skies around Acadia National Park and Isle au Haut from becoming industrial landscapes," he said.



Ron Huber of Rockland asked, "Why only floating technology?" Marvinney replied, "It's up to the industry as to what they want to test. We're just providing the sites."

"Will the lease sites be competitively bid?" asked Bob Butler of Waldoboro. That's not decided yet, Marvinney said. "There are discussions going on now with the Bureau of Submerged Lands [in the Department of Conservation] and the State Planning Office. But I don't think we'll have a bidding process." "What will be the lease amount?" continued Butler. Also not determined yet, Marvinney answered. "Will there be a bonding requirement?" "Yes," said Nagusky, "The bonding requirement will be up front and there will also be a demonstration of financial capacity to remove the equipment at the end of the lease."

Nagusky pointed out that only a few companies in the world are working on floating wind turbines for deep water, perhaps three in total.

Richard Warner from St. George spoke in favor of bringing wind-generated electricity to Maine. "It's a great opportunity, and I support it 100 percent. But I would hate to see all this resource development happen and then we end up producing electricity for New York," he said.

Becky Bartovics of North Haven asked how the monitoring programs will be paid for. "The industry must pay for it and submit the plan to the Inland Fish and Wildlife Department and to the Department of Marine Resources," Nagusky replied. Bartovics, who said she had been to six of the seven offshore sites selected, said that the state should take a precise look at the wildlife present in each site. "There are right whales all around Grand Manan," she said, referring to Planning Area G off the Cutler peninsula. "You need to be aware of the wildlife corridors and habitat."

"What oversight will there be on the rates set for wind power electricity?" asked Rockland city councilor Elizabeth Dickerson. Nagusky said that since deregulation of the electricity industry a decade ago, the state's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) sets rates only for the transmission and distribution of electricity. "It is a competitive environment for the generation of power," she said, "whether it's from wind, water, coal or oil. Now the price is set by the competitive market."

Paul Anderson, director of the Sea Grant College Program and moderator for the meeting, urged everyone to make comments on the maps of the seven possible sites. "We want to know about all human uses of these areas, not just fishing," he said.

To comment on the seven sites, go to www.maine.gov/doc/initiatives/oceanenergy/oceanenergy.shtml. A draft list of the final sites will be published in mid-October. The public comment period on those sites will close in mid-November. For more information, contact Bob Marvinney at 287-2804.