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 | | EASTPORT, MAINE INKS DEAL FOR CLEAN TIDAL ENERGY | | | Eastport City Council | | 14/11/2006 | | | Memorandum of Understanding Sets Stage for Maximum Local Benefits Eastport, Maine-The City of Eastport and ORPC Maine, LLC (ORPC Maine) have formalized an innovative public/private partnership designed to capture the power of tidal energy and ensure that the project's developer works closely with local community interests and businesses to maximize the economic benefits available to Eastport and the surrounding community.
In a Memorandum of Understanding approved by the City Council and signed on November 14, 2006, the City and ORPC Maine agreed to collaborate on the development of two tidal energy sites off the coast of Eastport. The projects will use proprietary Ocean Current Generation (OCGen(tm)) technology being developed by ORPC Maine and will be deployed in Western Passage and Cobscook Bay. ORPC Maine has applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for Preliminary Permits for the sites. ORPC Maine plans to build and install a full scale prototype OCGen(tm) module in Western Passage in mid-2008 and, upon successful testing and monitoring, develop, permit and build commercial scale OCGen(tm) projects at the sites. ORPC Maine hopes to obtain funding for the prototype project by the end of the year.
Key aspects of the Memorandum of Understanding include:
¨ Local Benefits: ORPC-Maine will use all reasonable efforts to maximize the amount of work that can be performed locally and will work with Eastport Community leaders to create economic benefits to the Eastport area. In return, the City of Eastport will support ORPC Maine's development efforts with local, state and federal governmental groups and will introduce ORPC-Maine to local companies, institutions, and individuals who may be qualified to provide facilities, equipment, materials and/or services.
¨ Economic Development Plan: The City of Eastport will work with ORPC Maine on a collaborative basis in developing an economic development plan for sensible development of the Eastport tidal resources that addresses local needs and concerns.
¨ Host Community Agreement: The City of Eastport and ORPC Maine will develop a definitive host community agreement at the time a final decision is made to build and install the prototype OCGen(tm) project that will, among other things, identify the financial and other economic benefits to Eastport that will become part of the execution plan for any subsequent prototype and commercial projects.
¨ Progress Updates: ORPC-Maine will keep the City of Eastport informed of its efforts and progress and will provide quarterly updates of its development activities, including key development and funding milestones.
¨ Public Education and Outreach: ORPC Maine will provide reasonable public education and outreach to the Eastport area regarding ORPC Maine, OCGen(tm) technology, the development process and other related topics as appropriate George 'Bud' Finch, Eastport City manager stated: 'The City of Eastport is very excited about the opportunity to turn tidal energy from the bay into electricity. The concept has been with us since the early 1900's when Dexter Cooper first brought forward the Quoddy Tidal Power dream and now the City, through this Memorandum of Understanding, will partner with ORPC and others to make that dream a reality.
These are the first vital steps for moving forward to capture the power of our local tidal resources and making certain that the entire Eastport community shares in the economic and environmental benefits from this clean, sustainable energy resource.' The agreement has attracted wide support from leaders in Eastport, the State of Maine, and the United States Senate. Others commenting on the agreement include: State Senator Kevin Raye, who added: 'This agreement holds tremendous promise for Down East Maine. I am hopeful that it signals the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our region's historic interest in harnessing the energy of our extraordinary tides. Congratulations to the City of Eastport and ORPC for working together to provide a pathway that could fulfill the vision of tidal power and benefit future generations.' Beth A. Nagusky, Governor John E. Baldacci's Director of Energy Independence and Security, who said: 'Maine has tremendous tidal energy potential, and we must do our homework to ensure that we can develop this clean, renewable energy resource with minimal impact to fish and wildlife and Maine's resource based industries.
Establishing public-private partnerships such as this will help to provide an inclusive process that is sensitive to the needs of our local communities, the marine ecosystem, and local industries' Gerry Chasse, Northeast Reliability Interconnect Project Manager for Bangor Hydro-Electric Company had this to say about the project: 'We are supportive of these types of development projects that increase energy diversity and security for our customers. We will work with ORPC Maine to bring the energy generated by this project to market through an interconnection to the Bangor Hydro system.' And United States Senator Olympia Snowe, who commented: 'Our nation's economy and quality of life are dependent upon a future supply of reliable, affordable, clean energy. This collaboration aligns our national priorities with local and state needs.
This is a positive step towards harnessing our local natural resources and creating solutions to meet our energy needs.' 'It has been clear from the very beginning in working with Eastport community leaders and citizens that they care deeply about their community and preserving the diverse environmental resources that make Eastport such a wonderful place.' stated Chris Sauer, President & CEO of ORPC-Maine. 'We are committed to working closely with the City and local organizations in developing the tidal resources in the Eastport area in a responsible manner that benefits the community but does not harm the local fishing and aquaculture industries. We want to set the example by delivering the best possible tidal projects in North America.' | |
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