Energy News  
Fox Islands Wind-Power Project Gets Resounding Yes Vote

As a community-wind project, the first benefit will flow directly to island residents.
by Staff Writers
Vinalhaven ME (SPX) Aug 06, 2008
In an overwhelming show of support, members of the Fox Islands Electric Cooperative from the islands of Vinalhaven and North Haven, Maine voted 382 to 5 last night in favor of siting a wind-power project in their community. This vote included both the seasonal and year-round communities, and gave the nod to a nationally precedent-setting alternative-energy project.

Located 10 miles off the coast in Penobscot Bay, North Haven and Vinalhaven islands have seen their energy costs rise at a rate even more alarming than that faced by ratepayers on the mainland. This project will be the largest wind-power development in the coastal zone of the northeastern U.S., and will produce a total output of between 3.5 and 5 megawatts of power - larger than the Hull project in Massachusetts.

It will also enable these two communities to sell power in the winter when the offshore wind is strongest, and buy power in the summer when energy consumption is the highest, making them virtually energy-neutral.

As a community-wind project (where power generation is controlled by the community), the first benefit will flow directly to island residents, reducing their cost of buying power by between three and six cents per kilowatt hour, and stabilizing the price of electricity for the next 20 years.

Hannah Pingree, a Maine state legislator from the island of North Haven, is convinced that wind power will have a positive impact on the quality of life for islanders.

Over the past five years, said Pingree, island ratepayers have seen significant increases in their electricity bills, even before the current energy crisis. Now we have a unique opportunity to stabilize and, ideally, lower our electricity rates while also producing our own renewable energy.

Barb Davidson, a business owner on Vinalhaven, agreed, saying, Im certainly in support of wind power - the electric bills are extremely high out here. Ive been to Norway and Sweden and wind power there is not invasive - it will help businesses and homeowners.

George Baker, a professor on leave from the Harvard Business School, has been working on the project with the FIEC, island community leaders and Philip Conkling, president of the Island Institute, for over a year. He was clearly elated by the outcome of last nights vote. We are thrilled to receive this remarkable show of support from the community, he said.

Now were poised to move forward quickly through the planning process, working hand in hand with municipal leaders. In fact, he added, the only element that might get in the way is the difficulty of acquiring turbines.

Chip Farrington, the FIECs general manager, is already looking to the future. There is a lot of work yet to be done, he stated, but we have received a great level of support and it could not happen at a better time.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Share This Article With Planet Earth
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit
YahooMyWebYahooMyWeb GoogleGoogle FacebookFacebook



Related Links
Fox Islands Electric Cooperative
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


Dry Lake Wind Project Assessment Continues
Safford AZ (SPX) Aug 06, 2008
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Safford Field Office is continuing to assess the Dry Lake Wind Project in Navajo County. The BLM issued its Environmental Assessment (EA) and unsigned Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on February 12 and was available for public review through March 28. Many public comments on the 200-page EA were submitted, all of which required careful review and consideration.







  • Replacing Roofs And Walls Can Lower Energy Bills
  • Alternative Energy Project Under Way At Robins AFB
  • Fox Islands Wind-Power Project Gets Resounding Yes Vote
  • Outside View: And now oil is languishing

  • Yucca Mountain cost estimate is increased
  • Race Is On For Civilian Nuclear Cooperation With India
  • Japan recognises India's need for nuclear power: official
  • Areva signs uranium mining deal with Central African Republic

  • Scientists Search For Answers From The Carbon In The Clouds
  • Air Monitoring Helps Anticipate Possible Ecosystem Changes
  • Air Travelers And Astronomers Could Benefit From Atmospheric Turbulence Research
  • NASA And Air Resources Board To Examine California Air Quality

  • Brazil launches international fund to preserve Amazon
  • Cyprus probes serial tree killings
  • WWF blasts EU's illegal wood imports, led by Finland
  • Scientists to discuss climate risk posed by wetlands destruction

  • TAU Researchers Root Out New And Efficient Crop Plants
  • No-Tillage Plus
  • Mustard - Hot Stuff For Natural Pest Control
  • Rising Energy, Food Prices Major Threats To Wetlands As Farmers Eye New Areas For Crops

  • EU opens the way for 'cars that talk'
  • Nissan accelerator pedal pushes back to save fuel
  • Material May Help Autos Turn Heat Into Electricity
  • Malaysia's Proton develops new hybrid car: reports

  • NASA evaluates new wing sensor
  • Russia And China May Co-Design New Passenger Plane
  • China Southern Airlines managers take paycut due to oil prices
  • Air China says it is to buy 45 Boeing aircraft

  • Nuclear Power In Space - Part 2
  • Outside View: Nuclear future in space
  • Nuclear Power In Space

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement