Wind power on Chebeague Island is a future possibility, according to economist and island resident John Wilson. “But our best bet right now is to look at conservation.”
Speaking to a crowd of about 40 at an informational meeting at the Chebeague Island Hall Saturday morning, Wilson cited the long payback period, the unfavorable economic environment for investors and marginal amount of wind as a few of the many reasons he believes that Chebeague can wait for wind.
“Wind is down, but not out,” he concluded. The meeting was organized by the Chebeague Island Community Association.
Wilson, who holds a Ph.D. in resource economics, began his talk with a list of reasons for initially considering wind power. Rising electricity costs, the fact that it’s “sort of green,” and the fact that “wind is not owned by foreign countries” are a few motivating factors to convert to wind energy, he told his audience. Chebeague is a reasonable location, he said, because there is some community interest, and self-sufficiency seems to be the mantra of the new town.
Wilson also noted the growth in wind power generation in the United States (up 40 percent last year) as well as globally. There are a number of wind power projects in Maine, including the Mars Hill site and the latest project, in which three, 1.5 megawatt turbines are being built for the Fox Islands Electric Cooperative, on Vinalhaven.
Then there are the drawbacks to wind turbines, such as noise, what has become known as “shadow flicker” and the risk to birds. Wilson reported that commercial wind turbine facilities are noisy, producing about 65 decibels, which is about the equivalent of “standing next to a washing machine.” Wilson also referred to the “shadow flicker,” literally the shadow of the turning blades which resembles lights turning on and off in a room, and told his audience these various impacts have even been given a name: Wind Turbine Syndrome. He acknowledged that there also could be some harmful impacts on the wildlife, depending on the location of the turbines.
Commercial turbines are supported by solid pylons up to 400-feet high with a hub and three blades. Private turbines are much smaller, he said, at about 143 feet tall. There are people who do not wish to see a modern version of Don Quixote’s giants mar their million-dollar view, said Wilson, but he doesn’t feel that way. “Personally, I love to see them,” he admitted. Among other things, he said, they serve as great navigational aides for sailors, generating some laughter among his audience.
Wilson got interested in the subject of wind power a couple of years ago, thinking “we should be looking at this as a community. There were other people interested, and it seemed very island-appropriate. We have self-sufficient kind of attitude out here.” With his background in corporate modeling and forecasting, Wilson has been gathering data from Central Maine Power and surfing the Web since the spring of 2008. Saturday he offered his findings to the community.
Wilson, who has lived on Chebeague for eight years, said that he was inspired by a presentation on Chebeague last year by Søren Hermansen, director of the Samsø Energy Academy of Denmark, who described the successful use of wind power there. That presentation was sponsored by the Island Institute, which publishes Working Waterfront.
In his talk Saturday, Wilson then moved on the question “What’s the holdup?” Economics are at the base of the problem, he explained. According to Wilson, a 1.5 megawatt turbine would cost from $5 to $7 million. He estimates that would amount to a cost of about $30,000 per year-round household on Chebeague. Unlike other islands, Chebeague still enjoys relatively cheap electrical service from Central Maine Power, paying about half the rate of Vinalhaven, for example.
Although Chebeague’s average wind speed is acceptable for wind power, it is not ideal. Finally, obtaining financing for such a large project would be difficult during the economic slowdown, he said.
Another important question Wilson answered was the estimated time for payback if Chebeague went ahead with a major wind power installation. Based on current usage and electrical rates, it would take 26 years to recover the investment in a commercial turbine that generates 1.5 megawatts, he estimates. He was quick to point out that these numbers are difficult to predict; the cost of electricity could rise, as could consumption. “Electrical usage is going to grow as we move away from fossil fuels,” he said. One audience member asked him the average lifespan of a commercial turbine. “Fifteen years,” Wilson replied. A smaller 10-kilowatt turbine, shared between three homes would pay for itself in only 12 years, he added, noting there are “diseconomies of scale.”
For the island of Chebeague, only time will tell if wind power is possible, said Wilson. He noted that additional government subsidies and an improvement in wind technology could significantly change his projections. In the meantime, he plans to keep gathering wind usage data for Chebeague.
He recommended that the town begin writing ordinances and guidelines for wind projects in advance. The Chebeague Island Community Association plans to publish an energy handbook that lists methods of conservation, types of alternative energy and various government subsidies for conservation projects. That will essentially compile in one place many of the resources already available.
As for Wilson: “I’m not going to drop wind; I’m going to keep looking at it.”
Anna Maine, a Chebeague Island resident, is participating in Working Waterfront’s summer student writer program.