Testimony from CMP in the Maine PUC CPCN case of the NECEC project :  
"In the event that the project is not selected by the Massachusetts entities, will CMP withdraw its petition or continue to seek the CPCN from the Commission? Please explain. "   Question from Office of the Public Advocate
"Before making any decision to withdraw its petition as hypothesized, CMP would need to thoroughly assess the circumstances, including the reasons for the NECEC project not being selected. As indicated in the petition, if the Massachusetts purchasers alternatively select CMP's MCPC project instead, the Company will amend its petition to comport with the MCPC project. " CMP Response

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Comment by Frank J. Heller, MPA on November 30, 2018 at 12:32pm

Comment by Frank J. Heller, MPA on November 30, 2018 at 12:23pm

Enter a major renewable company is expanding its hydropower presence in Maine:

This web site gives you some details of their present installed capacity  of 17,400 MW.

https://renewableops.brookfield.com/

It was calculated that in 2015, Maine's total electrical production was 5,354 gigawatt hours

of that the largest was hydro with 1,456; natural gas at 1,221; wind at 579,Oil at 492 and coal at  59 GWH.  I assume production matches demand; but is not indicative of latent capacity to meet demand caused by a cessation of wind or solar power and losses caused by the balancing of production with demand from various sectors. 

Comment by Dan McKay on November 30, 2018 at 12:09pm

Frank, can you find out if this facility is enrolled in the PUC Net Metering program ?

Comment by Frank J. Heller, MPA on November 30, 2018 at 11:56am

Brookfield, White Pine Hydro issued a 'green' bond last year that included these statistics:

" BWPH portfolio, which consists of 68 generating units across 21
hydroelectric facilities located primarily in the state of Maine with a
total installed capacity of 380 MW and forecast generation of 1,751
GWh/year with an average portfolio capacity factor of 53%."

What I'm advocating are integrated restorations of old mills that would be powered by latent hydropower, like this one in Dover-Foxcroft:

"

The Mayo Mill in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, is a 60,000 sf historic complex that we renovated into a mixed-use building housing 22 residential apartments, an inn, cafe, office space and a data center. In addition to the real estate, the project also houses a 300 KW hydro electric power plant that will supply the building with 100% of its electrical needs. The project opened in 2015. Visit dfmill.com for more information about this project."

While I'm not positive, it appears that only about 50% of the hydropower generating capacity is being used, i.e. about half the generating capacity remains to meet additional demands.  

Comment by Frank J. Heller, MPA on November 30, 2018 at 11:21am

WYMAN holds a lot of water, 208,910 acre ft, and 155ft high; but Abbott Brook, Aziscohos and Vanceboro dams hold more water; however flow is critical and that's where dams on Rivers shine as power generators.

136 of the dams in the data base are listed as hydroelectric; this does not list any which are capable of being equipped with generators; nor does it indicate water supplies with sufficient head to generate power using in-line turbines; nor does it list tidal impounds and lobster pounds. Some impounds like Carver Pond on Isleboro have tremendous amounts of water moving through them every tide change.

Wyman is one impressive dam; but other sources are as well. 

Comment by Frank J. Heller, MPA on November 30, 2018 at 10:32am

There are 597 dams listed in the Maine portion of the National Inventory of Dams. Smaller dams under 15' and with a smaller pond acreage are omitted as are weirs which divert water into a power generating device. 

If you're curious, goto 

http://nid.usace.army.mil/cm_apex/f?p=838:3:0::NO::P3_STATES:ME

Comment by Frank J. Heller, MPA on November 30, 2018 at 10:22am

This excerpt from the Kleinschmidt report reveals that the hydropower potential is substantial:

"An inventory of Conventional Hydropower Development at existing powered and unpowered
dam sites in Maine was made. The screening analysis identified 110 total sites at powered and
non-powered dams with potential for installation of 193 MW of additional capacity. As a result
of limitations of the screening analysis, these estimates are considered an upper limit of
development and generation potential. Application of estimated development cost and potential
revenue data to these sites indicates that while many existing dam sites have hydroelectric
development potential, these opportunities do not appear economic under current market
conditions. In addition, when environmental and regulatory considerations are taken into
account, 45 sites with 55 MW of potential capacity showed significant development potential
for conventional hydropower development. "

Other advantages are grid accessibility which lessens need for new transmission lines, secondary benefits of strengthening the dams and impounds, essential for drought/fire/flood protection and available for recreation and aquaculture. 

Missing from the report are the thousands of smaller dams and tidal impounds that could power local grids with a minimal cost.

Bottom line is energy independence and local control; and a bargaining  chip to prevent yet another gouge in the wilderness and pressure for an underground route, integrated with a gas pipeline.  Full report is found on the Maine Energy web site.

Comment by Art Brigades on November 29, 2018 at 9:36pm

Frank, whatever hydro capacity Maine water has, it's a drop in the bucket (sorry for the pun). To equal the deliverable power of the NECEC, using Maine dams, it would require an addition of 15 new Wyman Dams (largest hydro project in Maine). Where do we put those these days?

Comment by Frank J. Heller, MPA on November 29, 2018 at 12:58pm

Uh, with the election results casting a negative shadow over the transmission corridors, I find this just popped up promoting hydropower:  

https://www.necleanenergyconnect.org/

Comment by Frank J. Heller, MPA on November 29, 2018 at 12:44pm

In a massive shift of political activity, a new lobbying site sponsored by CMP has been created to promote hydropower, probably in response to what seems to be a denial of the proposed corridor...see 

https://www.necleanenergyconnect.org/ 

On its face it promotes clean hydropower as the renewable of choice. My initial reaction was this would promote Quebec hydropower and lines to transmit it. But in signing up for the site, became aware it was promoting hydropower in general and potentially developing the 54MW identified in the hydropower report done and found in the State Energy office by Kleinschmidt.

I should also point out I am exploring unutilized hydropower in another state in relationship to a similar extension of power lines from Quebec.   

 

Maine as Third World Country:

CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power

 

Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.

Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT

******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********

(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/

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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law

Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future

"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."

https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/

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