A formal study to determine the feasibility of wind power for Swan’s Island and Frenchboro is set to begin in mid-September. The Swan’s Island Electric Cooperative purchases power from Bangor Hydro and supplies both islands utilizing five undersea cables. The cost to residents, which averages around 30 cents per kilowatt-hour, is nearly three times the price paid on the mainland.
In an effort to stabilize electricity costs, the cooperative board of trustees has been working with Island Institute’s community wind department exploring the possibility of generating wind power on Swan’s Island.
Wind data was collected for a period of 24 months on the island. The data was analyzed and the results proved to be very encouraging. Swan’s Island has a wind resource up to 40% more powerful than that of Vinalhaven, where three wind turbines are generating power for that community.
The potential wind power site on Swan’s Island is known as Bois Bear Ridge. It has an elevation of 182 feet and is located in the interior of the island. It is a 70-acre parcel, with four owners, who have all agreed to allow access to the area for a feasibility study. The Swan’s Island project envisions the erection of a single utility-scale turbine located 3,000 feet from the nearest residence.
The next step toward wind power on the island is to conduct the feasibility study. The study includes three parts-environmental impact, an engineering study and an economic study. In March, at the annual town meeting on Swan’s Island, voters approved a $9,000 expenditure toward the feasibility study by a 39 – 33 vote. Frenchboro voted unanimously at their annual town meeting held in June to contribute $1,000 toward the study. The remainder of the $50,000 required for the study is being funded by Island Institute.
Cooperative board president Ed Schwabe said, “We expect the ornithologists to arrive in mid September to begin the study of fall migratory patterns of birds. This will be the start of people on the ground beginning the environmental part of the study.”
The environmental study will look at bird migration, bat activity and sound issues, among other things. The engineering portion will take into consideration the logistics of getting the large turbine components to the island and then to the building site. The final component of the study is the economic piece. The economic study will determine if the cooperative is able to finance the project and able to pay for the cost of the turbine and related maintenance over a 15 to 20 year period. It will also take into consideration the cooperative’s ability to stabilize or reduce electric costs through wind power generation.
“We will examine the outcome of the feasibility study and determine if the cooperative board should recommend moving forward with the project,” Schwabe said. “If the board votes to put wind power before the Swan’s Island Cooperative membership, we will educate the community on the findings from the study and a vote of the membership may take place as early as next fall.” The feasibility study is expected to take about 9 months to complete.