Ocean Renewable Power Company Secures Contract for Tidal Energy Conversion & Storage

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — The Coast Guard, in a partnership with Maine state and congressional delegation, is pleased to announce the Coast Guard’s award of the Eastport, Maine Tidal Energy Project to Ocean Renewable Power Company of Portland, Maine.

The $100,000 contract is planned to support a system installation used to harness and store tidal energy. The Coast Guard’s goal is to augment the power provided to the Coast Guard station in Eastport, Maine to prove the feasibility of renewable energy while reducing its carbon footprint. The target timeframe to start generating power is January, 2010.

In response to the contract award, LCDR John Natale, the Coast Guard Research and Development Center’s Manager for the project stated, “This contract will evaluate the viability of using tidal energy power to augment Coast Guard Station Eastport’s electrical power. It is a tremendous step forward in researching energy alternatives that will support the station in conducting the Coast Guard’s missions.”

“I’m pleased to see the Coast Guard in New England leading the way in renewable energy,” said Rear Admiral Joseph Nimmich, commander First Coast Guard District in Boston. “Innovative approaches like this will help the Coast Guard contribute to the President’s goal of reducing carbon pollution by 80 percent by the year 2050.”

“We have received great support from our Maine congressional delegation. We are all united in an effort to explore Maine’s abundant natural resources to provide sustainable energy,” said Captain Jim McPherson, commander of Sector Northern New England. “Coast Guard Station Eastport, Maine will be the first federal facility in the continental United States to use tidal energy to support Coast Guard missions. The Coast Guard has been in Maine since 1791 and feels responsible to the Maine public to help explore new ways of harnessing the natural resources of this great state.”

Maine’s congressional delegation echoes enthusiasm for the tidal energy initiative. “The Coast Guard’s decision to tap tidal energy to power its Eastport Station through the work of a Maine company demonstrates the economic potential of renewable energy as well as the reality that Maine can boldly increase our Nation’s energy independence,” said U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe. “The Coast Guard has shown exceptional leadership on energy issues with this decision, and I am hopeful that other Federal Agencies will follow its example by using Maine renewable energy companies to power their operations.”

“This is an exciting step forward for Maine to lead the nation in tidal energy development,” said U.S. Senator Susan Collins. “I am delighted that the Coast Guard recognizes our state’s immense potential and I support its efforts. The Coast Guard in Maine is a shining example of the type of actions we need on a national scale to stabilize gas and oil prices, prevent energy shortages, and achieve national energy independence. I applaud its leadership and will continue to work on Maine’s behalf to advance these objectives at the federal level.”

“Maine has tremendous potential to develop new sources of clean energy–particularly tidal and wind power,’ said U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree. “I want to congratulate the Coast Guard for showing true leadership in embracing these new sources of power.

By working with ORPC, the Coast Guard is demonstrating how productive public-private partnerships can be in helping develop this new industry in Maine.”

“Our state has the natural resources, the technology, the skills and the hardworking people to become a world leader in tidal energy,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud. “It’s fitting that Maine is the first state to be working on this type of innovative project with the Coast Guard. This work, combined with the ongoing research and development happening throughout our state, will help create jobs and move Maine’s development of clean and renewable sources of energy forward.”

“The tidal power initiative undertaken by the Coast Guard is very promising, not only for potentially developing their own renewable power source in Eastport, but for the example and model for others to build from, said John Kerry, Director, Governor’s Office of Energy Independence and Security. “Developing indigenous renewable energy is a top priority for the Governor. We appreciate the Coast Guard’s leadership and hope to see many more projects on the drawing board in the near future.”

“We look forward to working with the Coast Guard to demonstrate the feasibility and positive impacts of supplying tidal energy to their Eastport station,” said Christopher R. Sauer, P.E., President & CEO of Ocean Renewable Power Company. “We applaud Maine’s congressional delegation, Governor Baldacci, the City of Eastport and all of those organizations and individuals in the State of Maine, including Maine Technology Institute, who have worked so hard to make tidal energy a reality here.”

Other projects Sector Northern New England has initiated include wind turbine installations at the South Portland and Southwest Harbor facilities that power computers, servers and monitors at a combined 365 kilowatt hours per month, and 360 lighted buoys and 60 light houses that are energized by solar panels.

“We are very excited about these initiatives,” McPherson said. “These efforts will continue to save taxpayer’s money and protect the environment.”

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Posted by Gordon Smith on Sep 16 2009. Filed under Ocean Industry, Policy & Regulation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry