As New England's largest renewable energy producer, Maine is committed to ... income supports the Renewable Resource Fund, the state's public benefits fund.
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Renewable Energy in Maine Summary As New England’s largest renewable energy producer, Maine is committed to developing its regionally strong bioenergy, on and offshore wind, and ocean energy resources into strong, nationally‐recognized markets. It is doing so through sustained research and development, supportive policy mechanisms, and eased permitting requirements. Of note are Maine’s actions to become a leader in offshore renewable energy development, which would benefit the state by bringing hundreds of megawatts of clean energy to meet mainland demand as well as meeting the demand of Maine’s numerous offshore islands. Technology
Installed Projects (12/09)
Projects under Construction
Wind
175 MW
92 MW
Grid‐Connected Solar
0.3 MW
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Biomass
196.5 MW
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Market Maine is committed to transforming its traditional logging industry into a biomass renewable energy industry. Maine has more than 10 biomass generation facilities which use wood, wood waste, and municipal solid waste as feedstocks. It is also home to one biodiesel plant. Maine’s onshore wind industry is experiencing significant growth, with 128 MW installed in 2009 alone. The state has nine wind farms ranging from 0.05 MW (1 turbine) to 66 MW (22 turbines). The Kibby Mountain wind farm is currently undergoing construction to double its capacity to 132 MW. Maine is also the site of a proposed OEM wind tower and blade manufacturing facility. Research institutions throughout the state are committed to developing the wind and ocean energy sectors. The U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded the University of Maine $8 million to establish the first offshore floating wind test site in the U.S. and provided a grant for a small business to perform testing on tidal power generator devices.
Maine’s wind resource. Purple and red indicate excellent to outstanding resources. The American Wind Energy Association ranks Maine 19th in potential power capacity. The state has the highest concentration of class 5 and above wind in the northeastern U.S., as identified by NREL.
Economic Development From 2008 to 2009, Maine’s renewable energy and energy efficiency companies attracted $1 million in venture capital and private equity investment (Bloomberg New Energy Finance [BNEF]). 4 renewable energy projects in Maine have disclosed values, representing $287 million (BNEF). As of August 2010, Maine has received $8.1 million for 2 renewable energy projects and $41.5 million for 7 clean energy tax credits and grants from the Recovery Act. See: http://energy.gov/recovery/me.htm In 2009, the renewable energy industry supported 1,737 direct and indirect renewable energy jobs in Maine, comprised of 1,143 from solar energy, 126 from bioenergy, 445 from wind energy, and 23 from hydroelectric (Navigant Consulting, Inc.).
American Council On Renewable Energy
Map of Maine’s biomass resource. Dark green indicates excellent potential from forestry residues. Roughly 70% of the state has greater than 250,000 tons/year/country of forest and primary mill residues.
Updated August 2010
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Maine Policies Renewable Portfolio Standard – Maine’s Renewable Resource Portfolio requirement requires each competitive electricity provider, including standard offer providers, to supply at least 40% of their total retail electric sales from renewable energy and certain energy efficiency resources by 2017, of which 10% must be from new resources. To qualify, electricity must be generated by a facility no greater than 100 MW, and come from fuel cells, tidal power, solar arrays and installations, wind power, geothermal power, hydropower, biomass power or generators fueled by municipal solid waste in conjunction with recycling. Additionally, Maine passed a law to have 8,000 MW of wind power by 2030, 5,000 MW of which must come from coastal waters or off‐shore. Utilities may pay an alternative compliance payment (ACP) instead of meeting portfolio requirements. ACP income supports the Renewable Resource Fund, the state’s public benefits fund. As of 2009, approximately $800,000 is collected for the fund from the two sources. Net Metering – All of Maine's electric utilities, including investor‐owned utilities (IOUs) and consumer‐owned utilities (COUs) must offer net metering for individual customers. IOUs must offer net metering to eligible facilities with capacity limits up to 660 kilowatts (kW), while COUs must provide net metering to customer‐ generators up to 100 kW. Net excess generation is credited to the following month for up to 12 months, at which point any remainder is granted to the utility. Rebate Program – A $2 per watt rebate for an owner or tenant who purchases a PV system, with a maximum of $2,000 awarded. Owners of solar‐thermal systems qualify for a rebate based on the efficiency of the building. For residential wind energy systems, the rebate is $500 per 500 watts (W), up to 2,000 W. Non‐residential systems are eligible for a $500 rebate per 500 W up to 4,000 W. Tax Incentive – Maine offers a 100% sales and use tax refund for qualified community wind generators. Public Benefit Fund – Maine’s Renewable Resource Fund is a voluntary program allowing customers to contribute to a fund, via their monthly electric bill, that supports renewable energy projects. The fund supports grants for renewable energy research and development, and demonstration projects. Production Incentive – The community‐based Renewable Energy Pilot Program offers incentives for certain locally‐owned renewable energy systems. Up to 50 MW of generating capacity is permitted under the program, and individual participants may not exceed 10 MW. Property‐Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing – Maine has authorized local governments to establish, and use federal fund to establish PACE programs. The viability of the PACE method is currently in question, pending review of mortgage obligations. Offshore Renewable Energy Development Support ‐ In 2009, Maine and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) signed an agreement to streamline federal and state licensing process for offshore wind and ocean energy projects which is the first agreement of its kind on the East Coast. Maine also designated offshore testing zones for rapid license approval for offshore testing platforms within state waters.
ACORE Members in Maine Biomass Power Association College of the Atlantic
American Council On Renewable Energy
International WoodFuels LLC TD Banknorth
Updated August 2010
