Alternative Energy: New Hampshire's Neighbors

Massachusetts

The theory of putting wind power in somewhere isn’t the kind of idea that gets a lot of heavy opposition; trying to put wind power in a particular place, though, is more complicated. Just ask the residents of Massachusetts: developers have been trying to build Cape Wind, a set of 130 wind turbine generators in Nantucket Sound. Proponents say the project is a green no-brainer: Cape Wind would not only create clean power for the Bay State, but would directly replace local power that’s currently generated from fossil fuels. It would mean cleaner air and, potentially, economic benefit with no environmental downsides. Opponents say Cape Wind could hurt local marine life and negatively affect local industry, such as fishing and tourism, not to mention putting a giant mechanical eyesore in the middle of a spot famous for its natural beauty. (This last point is disputed, as Cape Wind supporters say the towers will be barely visible in most areas. Check the links below to see each side’s computer visualizations of the visual impact.)

Several state and federal agencies have given Cape Wind a green light. The next step is… more permitting, most likely. Right now Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has to decide whether to allow a lease on the proposed building site, while a state Energy Facilities Siting board decides whether to allow construction to go forward. Assuming there are no lawsuits to halt or slow down the process, Cape Wind might start its 1-2 year construction later this year and start generating power by 2011. Maybe.

Links:

• Cape Wind project
• CleanPowerNow.org - pro-Cape Wind group
• SaveOurSound.org - the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, which opposes the Cape Wind project
• WindStop.org - group opposed to Cape Wind
• US Department of Energy: Alternative Energy Resources in Massachusetts

Vermont

In one sense, Vermont’s grid is already beyond fossil fuels – less than 2% of its electric power is generated from oil or gas. So why are some environmentalists unhappy? The state’s biggest source of electricity is Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in Vernon. The plant’s 40-year operating license is set to expire in 2012; the plant’s owner, Entergy Nuclear, has applied for a 20-year extension, but that proposal has led to a long debate over safety, funding and energy policy. Some opponents say Vermont Yankee is becoming less safe as it ages – part of the plant’s cooling tower collapsed in 2007, for example. Others, including some state lawmakers, want Entergy to spell out what they’ll charge Vermont utilities for power if Yankee’s license is renewed. (Entergy says they’re negotiating such a deal). And some oppose the whole concept of nuclear energy, especially after US Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that a proposed nuclear waste facility in Yucca Mountain – where Vermont Yankee had expected to send its spent fuel - would not go forward.

The federal Atomic Safety and Licensing Board is preparing a final safety report on the plant; the Vermont legislature is looking at whether Entergy is fully funding a required fund to pay for decommissioning the plant, which will happen later this century whether the extension is approved or not. (Update 2:53 pm: Vermont Governor Jim Douglas has vetoed a bill that would have required Entergy to set aside more money for the decommissioning fund.) Meanwhile, supporters and opponents debate, protest and, occasionally, throw compost at each other.

Links:

• Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Vermont Yankee
• SafeCleanReliable.com - Vermont Yankee’s website
• SafePowerVT.org - a coalition which opposes extending Vermont Yankee’s license

Maine

The Pine Tree State’s great energy debate isn’t over a particular alternative energy project but over the state’s overall vision for energy. Lawmakers are considering a bill to consolidate all state energy and efficiency programs and initiatives into a new Efficiency Maine Trust, a fund that would pay for making homes more energy-efficient, cutting the use of heating oil and encouraging private investment in green jobs. The bill’s name – the “Act to Secure Maine’s Energy Future” – reflects that it wants to dramatically change how Mainers use energy, but those efforts will require plenty of money. The program can take $50 million from the federal stimulus bill, but that’s just enough to get off the ground. Maine could add an energy surcharge to electric bills, but that could be unpopular; state officials are hoping to work out a payment deal with Canadian energy companies looking to transport energy from the Maritimes into the rest of New England, but those aren’t set yet either. And economic advocates worry that private companies won’t take green energy plunge seriously if they think the state isn’t funding its own programs.

Legislative committee members are finalizing a bill to present to the full body in the next few weeks.

Links:

• Portland Press-Herald: Bill Seeks Big Push To Reduce Oil Usage
• Bangor Daily News: “State committee backs sweeping energy bill”