I've just returned from a visit to one of Maine's offshore islands. Life on a small island can seem fundamentally different: the pace of life is driven by the tides and boat schedules, and fog can often replace the mainland's heat. It was a good place to think about energy policy, and history, and where we can go from here.
More updates to follow regularly.
Brief news recap:
Friends of Merrymeeting Bay (FOMB) have provided 60-day notice of intent to sue the owners of four Maine dams under the Clean Water Act over issues relating to Atlantic salmon. FOMB have a history of legal activism over fish (including eel) passage at dams in Maine, particularly in the Merrymeeting Bay watershed. If you've read my earlier posts about kayaking in Merrymeeting Bay, you might know that Merrymeeting Bay is where the Androscoggin River flows into the Kennebec. FOMB has identified four dams in its threat: the Lockwood Dam in Waterville, "Hydro Kennebec" in Winslow, Shawmut Dam in Fairfield and Weston Dam in Skowhegan.
Energy powers society; society's choices shape energy policy. A blog about our energy resources and the choices they present for society.
Showing posts with label Kennebec. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kennebec. Show all posts
June 30, 2010 - how to get a FERC preliminary permit for your hydrokinetic project licensure
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Today I provide a quick look at marine hydrokinetic energy projects and their permitting. Let's say you've been following this blog and have a great idea for a site to develop a hydrokinetic project. From a permitting perspective, the first step is to seek a preliminary permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Preliminary permits, which are typically issued for up to three years, give the developer "guaranteed first-to-file status" -- basically, priority to study a project at the specified site for the duration of the permit. Preliminary permits don't authorize construction, but stake a developer's claim to study a given site.
After securing a preliminary permit, the next step in the FERC licensure process is to apply for a license to construct and operate a hydrokinetic electric generation facility. Licenses can be good for up to 30 - 50 years. If you're most interested in developing a pilot project -- for example to demonstrate proof-of-concept, or a pre-commercial development of new technology -- you can go through a special hydrokinetic pilot project licensure process. This more streamlined process can provide you with an easier path forward to project completion.
Here's a map (current as of March 2010) from FERC showing the locations of issued tidal, wave, and inland hydrokinetic preliminary permits.
In Maine, those permits are:
Also pending in Maine is a preliminary permit application for:
In coming days, I'll look at these projects in more detail. Who out there will be next to file for a preliminary permit?
Brief news roundup: in Farmingdale, Maine, where CMP acquired the former Kennebec Heights golf property and now plans to run transmission lines across the course, angry citizens packed a planning board meeting. Citizens didn't know that CMP was negotiating to acquire the course, and report feeling blindsided by a decision that they believe will lower their property values and municipal tax revenues.
The Lower Montsweag Dam removal project continues to be controversial. This Times-Record article describes how some Wiscasset citizens are worried that removing the dam will destroy valuable recreational space and a valuable backup to the town’s water supply, and that removing the dam will not actually result in the anticipated fish passage benefits.
After securing a preliminary permit, the next step in the FERC licensure process is to apply for a license to construct and operate a hydrokinetic electric generation facility. Licenses can be good for up to 30 - 50 years. If you're most interested in developing a pilot project -- for example to demonstrate proof-of-concept, or a pre-commercial development of new technology -- you can go through a special hydrokinetic pilot project licensure process. This more streamlined process can provide you with an easier path forward to project completion.
Here's a map (current as of March 2010) from FERC showing the locations of issued tidal, wave, and inland hydrokinetic preliminary permits.
In Maine, those permits are:
- P-12704, Half Moon Tidal Energy, Tidewater Associates, Cobscook Bay
- P-12711, Cobscook Bay Ocgen, ORPC Maine, LLC, Cobscook River
- P-12680, Western Passage Ocgen, ORPC Maine, LLC, Atlantic Ocean
- P-12777, Castine Harbor and Bagaduce Narrows, Maine Maritime Academy, Atlantic Ocean
- P-12710, Passamaquoddy Tribe Hydrokinetic, Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point, Western Passage
- P-13329, Town of Wiscasset Tidal Resources, Sheepscot River
- P-13345, Homeowner Tidal Power Elec Gen, Shearwater Design Inc., Kennebec River
Also pending in Maine is a preliminary permit application for:
- P-13646, The Power Company, Damariscotta River
In coming days, I'll look at these projects in more detail. Who out there will be next to file for a preliminary permit?
Brief news roundup: in Farmingdale, Maine, where CMP acquired the former Kennebec Heights golf property and now plans to run transmission lines across the course, angry citizens packed a planning board meeting. Citizens didn't know that CMP was negotiating to acquire the course, and report feeling blindsided by a decision that they believe will lower their property values and municipal tax revenues.
The Lower Montsweag Dam removal project continues to be controversial. This Times-Record article describes how some Wiscasset citizens are worried that removing the dam will destroy valuable recreational space and a valuable backup to the town’s water supply, and that removing the dam will not actually result in the anticipated fish passage benefits.
June 21, 2010 - adventure and news
Monday, June 21, 2010
From the energy/adventure department: yesterday I went kayaking on Center Pond in Phippsburg, Maine. (Thanks to the Phippsburg Land Trust for helping conserve the lands and access!) Center Pond, like Winnegance, was originally a tidal salt marsh. It was dammed in 1883 to make an ice pond. Ice was big business along the lower Kennebec, as it was the principal source of refrigeration for the world, and the combination of clean fresh water and proximity to shipping made the Kennebec a busy place for shipping ice.
I had a great paddle, although I did get chased off by a powerful lightning storm that ended up knocking out power for a few hours.
Quick energy policy news: an editorial in today's Morning Sentinel about biomass energy. This article comes in the wake of recent studies suggesting that despite other analyses, biomass combustion does have carbon and climate impacts. Indeed, several recent studies have suggested that not only does biomass combustion emit long-term atmospheric carbon, but that increased harvesting will exacerbate the carbon imbalance. The editorial notes that in Maine, biomass for combustion has typically come from wood waste and thinnings, not wood suitable for use for pulp, fiber or lumber, and suggests a compromise that may include restrictions that require the use of wood waste and thinning, not higher value material.
This is consistent with a conversation I had this morning with a client. We were discussing biomass markets and the federal BCAP program. He told me that BCAP was responsible for a number of processors setting up chippers in the woods in order to participate in the incentive program, and that some of this BCAP-induced activity involved chipping wood that could have been used for fiber or lumber. I've heard similar accounts several times in the months since BCAP went live.
I had a great paddle, although I did get chased off by a powerful lightning storm that ended up knocking out power for a few hours.
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| From Energy Policy Update |
Quick energy policy news: an editorial in today's Morning Sentinel about biomass energy. This article comes in the wake of recent studies suggesting that despite other analyses, biomass combustion does have carbon and climate impacts. Indeed, several recent studies have suggested that not only does biomass combustion emit long-term atmospheric carbon, but that increased harvesting will exacerbate the carbon imbalance. The editorial notes that in Maine, biomass for combustion has typically come from wood waste and thinnings, not wood suitable for use for pulp, fiber or lumber, and suggests a compromise that may include restrictions that require the use of wood waste and thinning, not higher value material.
This is consistent with a conversation I had this morning with a client. We were discussing biomass markets and the federal BCAP program. He told me that BCAP was responsible for a number of processors setting up chippers in the woods in order to participate in the incentive program, and that some of this BCAP-induced activity involved chipping wood that could have been used for fiber or lumber. I've heard similar accounts several times in the months since BCAP went live.
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