A remote U.S. island hopes to develop a world-class energy facility that will help it deal with the hours of electricity outages during adverse weather.
Eastport, Maine, is the United States' easternmost city, and the island community is no stranger to losing connection to the mainland electricity supply during big storms. As reported by Inside Climate News, the island hopes to change this by becoming energy resilient — a move that has put it at the forefront of Maine's renewable energy transition.
The move was spearheaded by an Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project grant that was awarded in 2021. This grant funded work to develop energy generation and storage right there on the island. Now, an initiative driven by local people is looking to build a microgrid that runs off solar and tidal power. This could help the island cope with hours of outages and move islanders away from using diesel, which generates harmful and polluting emissions.
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Statewide power company ⚡ Eastport already has solar power operating on the island, but the community of 1,300 residents hopes to supplement this by taking advantage of the strong currents that are found nearby. "This site off of Eastport is one of the best sites in the country for tidal power," said Stuart Davies, the CEO of the Ocean Renewable Power Company, per Inside Climate News.
These developments in Eastport align with the goal of ensuring the U.S. is powered by 100% renewable energy by 2035. Swapping to renewable energy is essential to cut pollution that comes from dirty energy sources such as coal, oil, and gas. Clean energy, produced by solar, wind, and tidal among other sources, is much better for the environment and public health, and is less expensive.
In addition to sourcing funding for its renewable energy goals, the Eastport community is also looking to increase the energy efficiency of its homes. The city's energy committee has secured funding to help residents identify where their homes need improved insulation. Weatherizing your home is a surefire way to reduce heating and cooling costs, saving you money on utility bills while also cutting pollution.
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