Fulfilling energy challenges for Maine’s islands 

Unfortunately, island communities don’t have economies of scale or local fossil fuel resources. This are the reasons for drastic increases in energy prices compared to mainland peers. A case in point,  islands  off the coast of Maine; Isle au Haut and Monhegan, are evaluating their energy futures. The Energy Department and EERE are aiding to address these concerns through the Energy Transition Initiative (ETI). ETI gives technical resources to encourage communities to fulfill clean energy goals and in transition to a clean energy economy.
 

The Island Institute

The Island Institute, that worked to sustain Maine's island and coastal communities since 1983. They discuss concerns that other islands face as well; reliable and economical power supply. Isle au Haut gains electricity via an undersea cable that’s 3 years past its lifespan. Should it fail, the island must depend on a diesel generator for power. Mid-winter breakdowns might not get repaired for at least a week.  The resilience and redundancy in the controls or equipment is important during the transition to renewables energy. On Monhegan island, electricity runs off diesel generators and its residents charter a special boat for fuel deliveries. This results in high electricity price on the island, encouraging the exploration of local  and sustainable renewable resources.
 

Weatherization Weeks

The Island Institute already created solutions to some of these energy problems. Their “Weatherization Weeks,” where neighbors pool together a few residential retrofit projects to decrease the transaction costs  are estimated to have saved participating communities over $2 million. On Monhegan, nearly 90% of homes have received energy assessments through Weatherization Weeks.

The ETI depends on community engagement, and  visits a community to evaluate its energy situation and  analyze   options with feedback. Working with the Island Institute, a team of technical experts from the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) arrived on the two islands to get the energy data neededand  held a town hall meeting on each island about its energy future. ETI's involvement in Maine’s island communities is to expand the program's perspective. For instance, when most people say "islands," they automatically think tropical. Different climates present different energy needs. Also, we typically think about utility partners with large amounts of staff numbers, when in reality, the staff consists of one or two full-time employees. By partnering with the Island Institute to locate sustainable and cheaper  solutions for  communities in Maine, they will help us better understand how to complete EERE’s mission to create the clean energy economy. EERE's Energy Transition Initiative (ETI) provides structure and technical resources and to aide locations in transition to a clean energy economy.

Solar power is here to stay, and the sooner you explore how much you can save, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of residential solar power. Go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. It tells you how much solar power you need, and how much you can save. Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.