Wind Projects in Maine
An update on projects and the role of NRCM
October 23, 2007 Harvesting Clean Energy Conference Dylan Voorhees, Clean Energy Director Natural Resources Council of Maine
Topics
• • • • • Wind Power Projects Nationally Maine in New England Context Projects in Maine NRCM’s Role in Wind Power Wind Megawatts in Context
Wind Power Projects Nationally
TOTAL INSTALLED U.S. WIND ENERGY CAPACITY: 11,961 MW as of May 2007
Commercial Wind Farms in New England
New England Wind Forum
Mars Hill Wind Farm
Potential Wind Power in New England
Total Wind Power Potential in New England
(Class 3 and Above)
10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 ME VT NH MA RI CT
Miles from Transmission
(MW)
0-5 miles
5-10 miles
10-20 miles
>20 miles
Source: MPUC Wind Power Report, App. E
Wind Resources in Maine
Wind Projects
Seeking permits
TransCanada Kibby Mt. (Former Kenetech Site) 130 MW Evergreen Wind Power (UPC) Mars Hill, ME 42 MW
UPC Wind Stetson Ridge 57 MW Maine Mountain Power Black Nubble 54 MW
Wind Projects
In planning
Kibby Mt. (Former Kenetech Site) TransCanada 130 MW
Aroostook Wind Linekin Bay Energy 250 – 800 MW Possible
Mars Hill Evergreen Wind Power (UPC) 42 MW
Stetson Ridge UPC Wind 57 MW Black Nubble Maine Mountain Power 54 MW Record Hill Independence Energy 40-80 MW
Role of NRCM in Wind Power:
Helping Maine become a leader in wind power development
1. Identifying environmental harm from traditional energy sources; 2. Helping appropriately-sited projects secure necessary permits; working with developers proactively; 3. Building a broad-based coalition of organizations and Maine people in support for wind power ; 4. Working to implement improvements in the permitting process. 5. Advancing wind power within a clean energy strategy;
490,000 acres of prime Appalachian forest land destroyed 244 species of birds affected
470 Mountains have been destroyed in Appalachia from mountaintop removal.
30 percent of Maine loons are at “high risk” due to mercury contamination. -David Evers, BioDiversity Research Institute
Mercury contamination of forest songbirds high enough to interfere with reproduction - C.Rimmer, April 2005, Ecotoxicology
Bicknell’s Thrush
Source:
Changes to Forest Species Composition
Credit: USFWS
Credit: T. Brandt Ryder
Source: NECIA, 2007 (www.climatechoices.org)
Acrtic ice cap shrank more than one million square miles – or six Californias – below the average minimum area in recent decades. “We’re starting to see the system respond to global warming.”
1,000 acres of Portland could be submerged. One meter rise would submerge 20,000 acres on Maine coast Six meter rise would inundate 128,000 acres on Maine coast
lbs CO2/million BTU 10 20 30 40 50 60 0
C oa l O il D ie s el Fu e l G as ol in e Pr op an e N at u ra l G as So la r W H yd ro p
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
in d ow er
Black Nubble Impacts/Benefits
• Small Impact Above 2700’: 64 acres would be cleared (0.05%) out of 139,201 acres above 2,700’ in Maine • Prior Logging Had Much Greater Impacts: 21,300 acres of forests above 2700’ have been harvested since 1974 • Northern bog lemming: no habitat on Black Nubble • Bicknell’s Thrush: potential 0.02% loss of estimated 336,373 acres of U.S. habitat • Energy Generation: equivalent to electricity used annually by 21,500 Maine homes.
Redington Would Be Protected If Black Nubble Wind Farm is Built
Maine’s Highest Peaks
Katahdin, Baxter Peak Katahdin, Hamlin Peak Sugarloaf North Crocker Old Speck North Brother Bigelow, West Peak Saddleback Bigelow, Avery Peak Abraham South Crocker Saddleback Horn Redington Pond Range
Elevation Protected Status
5,268 4,756 4,250 4,228 4,170 4,151 4,145 4,120 4,090 4,050 4,050 4,041 4,010 Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Not Yet Baxter State Park Baxter State Park Ski Area Appalachian National Scenic Trail Grafton Notch State Park Baxter State Park Bigelow Preserve Appalachian National Scenic Trail Bigelow Preserve Appalachian Trail Land Trust Appalachian National Scenic Trail Appalachian National Scenic Trail Would be protected if Black Nubble Wind Farm is built
Brassua Dundee
Kibby and Black Nubble Compared with Maine’s Largest Dams More Renewable Power than 95% of Maine’s 102 Dams
Errol Bar Mills Great Works Riley Ellsworth Medway Androscoggin 3 Deer Rips West Buxton Lockwood Aziscohos Livermore Bonny Eagle Cataract
(annual generation)
Milford Shawmut Otis Hiram Veazie Hydro Station Pejepscot Weston West Enfield (Bangor Pac.) Hydro Kennebec Worumbo Williams Woodland Brunswick Skelton Mattaceunk
140 GWh
Gulf Island Lewiston Falls (Monty Sta.) Anson Abenaki Black Nubble Wind Farm
365 GWh
Ripogenus Harris Rumford Falls Kibby Wind Farm Wyman Hydro Penobscot Mills
500 400 300 200 100 0
Thousands MWH
Kibby Project
Turbine Locations for Kenetech vs. Kibby Wind Farm
Series A
Series B
Red lines identify ridgelines that were part of the 1995 Kenetech wind power project. The Kibby Wind Farm will only utilize the lower part of Series A and the Series B ridgelines.
Overview of Kibby Wind Farm
1. Strikes an even better balance of benefits and impacts than previous Kenetech wind farm. 2. No undue adverse impacts on existing uses and resource values. 3. Meets a clear demonstrated need both environmentally and economically. 4. Provides very substantial clean energy benefits. 5. Includes significant land mitigation.
American Lung Association of Maine Chewonki Foundation Community Energy Partners Conservation Law Foundation Democracy Maine Ed Holt & Associates Energetic Management Associates Environment Maine Franklin County Board of Supervisors Franklin County Development Corporation Green Campus Consortium of Maine Independent Energy Producers of Maine Maine Center for Economic Policy Maine Council of Churches Maine Electric Consumers Coalition Maine Energy Investment Corporation Maine Global Climate Change, Inc. Maine Interfaith Power and Light Maine Public Advocate Maine Public Health Association Maine State Chamber of Commerce Natural Resources Council of Maine Physicians for Social Responsibility/Maine
SUPPORT FOR BLACK NUBBLE
These 23 organizations represent more than 75,000 members and supporters, more than 5,000 Maine businesses, 600 churches and 12 Maine colleges and universities.
Maine People Support Wind Power
May 2007 (N=400) Strongly oppose Somewhat oppose Somewhat favor Strongly favor Don’t know Strongly / Somewhat oppose Strongly / Somewhat favor 3.8% 7.3% 22.8% 62.3% 4.0%
11.1% 85.1%
New England Electricity Mix
HYDRO 5% WOOD/WASTE 5% COAL 12%
NUCLEAR 28%
PETROLEUM 17%
GAS 30%
Source: ISO New England, 2004
Electricity sales in Maine: 12,000 GWh
NRCM’s Goals for Maine: 2010
Wind Projects 300 NRCM Goal 250
200
Megawatts
150
100
50
0 Mars Hill Black Nubble Kibby Mountain Stetson Mountain Mars, Kibby, Stetson, Black Nubble
NRCM’s Goal for Maine: 2020
Wind Projects 700 NRCM Goal 600
500
Megawatts
400
300
200
100
0 Mars Hill Black Nubble Kibby Mountain Stetson Mountain Mars, BN, Stetson, Kibby