About Island Solar Communities

Island communities don’t have economies of scale or local fossil fuel resources. This are the reasons for dramatic increases in energy costs compared to mainland locations. A case in point, islands off the coast of Maine; Isle au Haut and Monhegan, are reevaluating their energy futures.

The Energy Department and EERE are assist to address these concerns through the Energy Transition Initiative (ETI). ETI produces technical resources to support communities to fulfill clean energy goals and in transition to a clean energy economy.

Sustaining Coastal Communities

The Island Institute, that worked to sustain Maine's island and coastal neighborhoods since 1983. They review concerns that other islands face as well; dependable and economical energy 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 fuel for power. Mid-winter breakdowns might not get repaired for at least a week. The resilience and redundancy in the controls or equipment is crucial during the transition to clean solar energy. On Monhegan island, electricity runs off diesel generators and its residents charter a special boat for fuel deliveries. This results in high electricity cost on the island, supporting the exploration of local and sustainable clean energy resources. 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 reduce the transaction prices are estimated to have saved participating communities over $2 million. On Monhegan, nearly 90% of homes have received clean energy assessments through Weatherization Weeks.

Community Engagement is Required

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 needed and 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 more economical solutions for communities in Maine, they will assist to better understand how to fulfill the EERE’s mission to create the solar energy economy. EERE's Energy Transition Initiative (ETI) provides structure and technical resources and to aide locations in transition to a clean energy economy. 

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