U Maine may drop offshore wind R&D site near Monhegan

MONHEGAN ISLAND. Four members of the DeepCwind Consortium gave a presentation on Monhegan on February 16th, and then took questions from island residents and from an opponent of the Consortium's plan to build and operate floating offshore wind test platforms south of the wind-tossed scenic island.

Representing the Consortium were the University of Maine's Elizabeth Viselli, Jake Ward, Robert Lindyberg, and Suzanne Pude of the Island Institute's Community Wind program. Collectively they described the history of ocean windfarming and the reasons for promoting it in Maine waters now, and described the technology they propose installing two miles south of the island.

While islanders at the meeting in the Monhegan schoolhouse were appreciative overall of the consortium's efforts and supportive of their ingenuity in seeking out renewable energy, concerns were raised on a variety of fronts: sound and infrasound pollution, loss of fishing grounds access, visual pollution, and seabird mortality. Some island residents said that the state's decision to site near Monhegan took place without consulting them, in effect leaving them out of the loop .

Most praised the overall process, but urged the consortium to be careful to determine ahead of time whether the windmills could harm the island plantation's arts colonies, its thriving tourist trade, its fame as a birder's paradise and its lobster fisheries and groundfisheries.

They also wondered if the political clout of DeepCwind Consortium members like BIW and Cianbro could overwhelm their voices before the government. While all welcomed the idea of lower cost non-petroleum-based electricity, they also voiced concerns, including the potential for the state's lease to be taken up by a commercial operator. Some noted that the state's planning and decisionmaking process seems to be shaping up as one where Monhegan itself has little say beyond a consultative role. With sdomething called "wind waivers" thaty small amount may shrink even more.

In response to the list of concerns, the DeepCwind representatives at the meeting agreed to drop the Monhegan location for an alternative downeast Maine site, if shown there are too many likely impacts to Monhegan's people, birds, scenic beauty and/or fishing from their operation. Jake Ward of the consortium said: " If everybody says that it totally makes no sense, then we'll have to look at one of the other test sites."

Listen to DeepCwind presenters. You can also read the transcriprt of followup question and answer session (pdf).

The consortium members also noted interest by the aquaculture industry and by tidal power researchers to also locate in the test area south of Monhegan.

The final decision by DeepCwind on whether to stay with the Monhegan site may rest upon Maine Superior Court Justice Jeffrey Hjelm' rulings as he considers the case, Huber vs Bureau of Parks and Lands, in which plaintiff Huber argues that the Bureau of Parks and Lands failed to adequately consider the impacts to Monhegan and the surrounding ecosystems before choosing it as host to the state's offshore test site. Huber is asking that the R&D site be moved to another of the alternative offshore locations that were under consideration by the state.