Maine considers renewable feed-in tariff

The Maine legislature is set to consider a bill that would create a feed-in tariff for renewable energy.  Maine already has a renewable portfolio standard and other incentives for investment in renewable power production.  Will Maine add a feed-in tariff to the mix?

The Maine State House, home to a consideration of feed-in tariffs.

 A feed-in tariff is a policy tool intended to encourage investment in renewable energy technologies.  Feed-in tariffs typically offer long-term contracts under which utilities purchase power fromrenewable energy producers at predictable prices, often based on the cost of generation of each technology.  Where feed-in tariffs exist, developers of renewable energy projects gain certainty about the revenues their projects will create.  This certainty helps developers secure the financing they need to build projects.

A bill proposed by Maine state senator Christopher Johnson would require the state Public Utilities Commission to establish a renewable energy resources feed-in tariff program.  An Act To Establish the Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff, also known as LD 1085, has the stated purpose of encouraging the rapid and sustainable development of renewable energy resources and technology for environmentally healthy generation of electricity.  Like feed-in tariffs in other jurisdictions, it would require that utilities purchase renewably produced electricity from all qualified suppliers.  It would have the Public Utilities Commission set the rate that electric utilities must pay for such power at a level sufficient to provide revenues to operate and to attract necessary capital and investment for small renewable electric generators.

Qualified suppliers would be limited to certain small renewable electric generators.  As defined in the bill, such generators would be limited to systems up to 500 kilowatts in size, that are majority owned by a person or entity that owns less than 500 kilowatts of electricity generating capacity in Maine, and that use solar photovoltaic panels or solar thermal or concentrating solar systems, generators fueled by methane from sewage treatment facilities, landfills or agricultural waste, generators fueled by combustion of biomass, tidal power projects, or wind energy.

Existing Maine law provides incentives for the generation of electricity from renewable resources.  Like most states, Maine has a renewable portfolio standard which requires electricity suppliers to source a specified portion of their power from renewable generators.  Maine also has a community-based renewable energy pilot program which functions like a feed-in tariff for eligible projects.  A feed-in tariff would add another incentive to build relatively small (non-utility-scale) projects.

LD 1085 has not yet been scheduled for a public hearing.  It will likely come before the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology later this spring.

September 2, 2010 - sewage digestion; dam damage

In August, news covered the plans of the Lewiston-Auburn Water Pollution Control Authority to build a anaerobic digester plant at its sewage treatment facility.  The plant would reduce the Authority's solids disposal costs and could generate significant energy from the methane produced.  Now, the Lewiston Sun Journal says they're clarifying that it is "not a given" that the Authority will develop the project.

Hydroelectricity: a rock has fallen onto the Ennis Dam on the Madison River in Montana.  Here is a map of the Ennis Lake and gorge area.  You can see pictures here and a map here.  It looks like Ennis Lake will be drawn down 5' to relieve some of the back-pressure on the dam, and then later draw it down another 4' for a full inspection and possible repairs.  Ennis Lake only averages 8'-9' deep, so this drawdown will have noticeable effects -- if not as permanent as the effects of drawdown prior to breach.  Hopefully the drawdown will not cause landslides and erosion as at Fort Halifax on the Kennebec River in Maine.

What's it like behind the gates of Bath Iron Works?  This Working Waterfront piece gives a good description of a tour of the large defense contractor on the Kennebec River.

August 25, 2010 - tidal energy; sewage anaerobic digestion

What is the first federal facility anywhere to use tidal power as an energy source?  A Coast Guard station in Eastport, Maine is claiming the title with its project to install Ocean Renewable Power Company's tidal energy turbine and generator.  ORPC installed a 60 kW tidal turbine and generator in March 2010.  Last week, ORPC announced that the unit had commenced powering the Coast Guard's 41' utility boat with electricity of a quality compatible with being grid-tied.  Yesterday, in Eastport, there was a celebration of the project's successes and promises.

Lewiston and Auburn, two of Maine's largest sister cities on either side of the Androscoggin River, share sewer treatment services through the Lewiston-Auburn Water Pollution Control Authority.  Currently, the plant treats 12.7 million gallons of sewage per day.  This process results in two major products: clean water, and the solids that (in technical ways, if not semantically) make up the difference between sewage and water.  The authority mixes about half of the solids with wood to make a marketable compost, but has to pay to dispose the remaining solids.  Now, the authority is considering installing an anaerobic digestion plant.  This plant would have two major effects.  First, it would significantly reduce the mass of solids requiring disposal -- up to a 40% reduction.  Where that mass would go produces the second major effect of the plant: through anaerobic digestion, combustible gas (primarily methane) is produced from the solids.  This gas can be burned in a gas turbine, which can be tied to a generator.  For Lewiston-Auburn, gas production is estimated at 170,000 cubic feet of methane per day; the authority estimates that it can produce 2/3 of its own electricity requirements from this fuel stream. The cost?  $16.6 million.  On September 8, the board of the authority will vote on the project.

The public debate over wind energy's merits continues with this letter to the Lewiston Sun Journal critical of developing wind near small towns and mountains in Maine.  Claims made include "they will not produce enough energy to make a dent in our needs, but it will make some investors very rich" and "the energy will be sold out of state".

Copper theft is an issue in Maine.  Copper is valuable for its scrap value.  Thieves strike utility infrastructure as well as homes.  Here's a news report of a thief busted for stealing the copper piping from a house listed for sale.