Katie Chapman, Swan’s Island Alternative Energy Fellow, describes her position as “thrilling all the way around.”
Catalyzed by some of the highest electricity prices in the nation and a cost of raw power that has doubled since 1998, Swan’s Island Electric Co-op is measuring the island’s wind resources and using the collected data to begin analyzing the potential economic benefit of erecting a wind turbine. Simultaneously, the co-op is researching the technical feasibility and potential environmental impacts of a wind project.
Chapman’s role as a fellow is to help the co-op educate Swan’s islanders about different facets of wind power development, drawing from the data currently being collected and researching the success of other smaller wind projects. The co-op is looking at a truly community-based project that would be owned by the local co-op, involve local people and enjoy community approval. This “community wind” model encourages potential conflict resolution prior to construction while seeking support from those most affected by the project. A constant effort to ensure that the community understands, endorses and benefits from the project is crucial.
In this way, a small island off the coast of Maine with approximately 350 year-round residents hopes to utilize innovative technology and community organization strategies to revolutionize energy production.
“This job always seems a little bit backwards,” Chapman says, noting the paradoxical nature of her situation. “There’s the trying-to-change-things-to keep-things-the-same paradox. There’s changing technology to maintain a traditional way of life. There’s me from outside trying to help to make an inside population maintain their way of life. It’s this vortex of new and old; you have to identify what is important in order to keep it.”
Debating these issues makes the project truly exciting and unique.
A recent graduate of Bowdoin College, Chapman studied Spanish and was heavily involved in multiple aspects of campus life.
A member of the Bowdoin swim team, Chapman competed in three national championships, received All-American honors in 2004 and 2006, and currently holds Bowdoin swimming records in five events.
“Swimming has taught me about discipline and the rewards of long-term investment in something that you are passionate about,” wrote Chapman in her application to the Island Institute’s fellows’ program.
And Chapman applied this dedication to another interest: environmental-activism. She coordinated efforts to convince Bowdoin to purchase 100 percent clean energy, which was accomplished in July 2006, and has worked on recycling, bicycle-lending and community-gardening initiatives.
In addition, Chapman extended her efforts beyond Bowdoin and coordinated the collaborative town-gown effort to make Brunswick a “Cool Community,” convincing the Brunswick Town Council to unanimously pass the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement in May 2007, pledging to reduce carbon emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.
The Island Fellows program offered Chapman the opportunity to continue to explore how communities can be economically and culturally sustainable.
“One of my big questions coming out here is ‘what is sustainability?’ Islands are unique microcosms of the mainland. Long-term questions have to be addressed much sooner on islands, and one of the real appeals of this job was the opportunity to come see that.”
And while she feels that the idea of ‘islands as microcosms’ is true, she is discovering many factors that complicate other characterizations of island life.
“Somebody said ‘we live so much closer to the land out here’ and I thought that was interesting. It’s called the rock for a reason: it’s all ledge. The shelter, food, fuel, are all coming from the mainland. Most of our lobsters get shipped off”¦but it’s also neat being out here working on wind and talking with people about sustainability”¦it’s interesting to see how the environment and lifestyle collide,” continues Chapman.
As for her efforts to promote sustainability through alternative energy, she reports that people have been very supportive of the electric co-op’s efforts. Certainly, the desire to reduce or stabilize electricity costs has garnered community support, but Chapman is also excited that the project has catalyzed discussion amongst the islanders.
“People are on board, excited, thinking about it, engaged, starting to get engaged. [The co-op] gave a presentation at town meeting and people asked questions and seemed really interested. My function is to help the community make this decision and go through this process. I serve as a lens for the community; I never want to preach nor give false information.”
While maintaining distance from the project is sometimes difficult for Chapman — “it’s hard to be intimately involved in the project but recognize that it’s the community’s decision,” she says — the fact that she is redefining her own understanding of sustainability as the community considers wind power has enabled her to gain a more holistic view of the project.
“After college I was looking for renewable-energy-related jobs. You can go to a big firm and see a segment of what [renewable energy] means”¦installation, development, technology, etc. But only on Swan’s did I find a position that would let me be involved in all aspects of a project.”