Discussion

Afternoon discussion:

A woman stands up and talks about her film documentary project, which is following the development of tidal power here in Maine. She and a following speaker talk about the importance of education, the value and importance of renewable energy development.

A fellow from Vinalhaven's Fox Island Electric Cooperative speaks up: they're developing 4-5 MW nameplate capacity to power the islands. He notes that Hull has no NIMBY problems; Vinalhaven has minimal NIMBY problems because wind will diminish power rates significantly (the islands currently rely on expensive-to-maintain undersea cables, so transmission costs are nearly twice the cost of the electricity itself). Here's a research paper on the viability of utility wind power on the Fox Islands from the Renewable Energy Research Laboratory.

Another speaker suggests that developers sort through Maine communities according to who has the highest electric rates: go there first. People chuckle, but I think there's real validity in this sentiment.

Someone else stands up and cites everything said about regulation and public trust - the private sector is also an important institution, and he urged power developers to listen to the public - both neighbors and the public institutions in government.

A developer/fisherman working on an offshore project in New Jersey is talking about the need for regulatory consensus. In NJ, commercial fishermen opposed offshore wind at first, then engaged in a two-year dialogue; now, the same fishermen are engaged in the development proposal. [ed: pretty neat story; I'd read about this in the Wall Street Journal's excellent Environmental Capital blog a few days ago.]