Solar power provided all the electricity needed to power a service area of more than 11,000 customers in northern Maine for a few hours in early May, a first for the large, sparsely populated region that relies on a Canadian grid for electricity.
Unlike other areas of the state connected to the New England Power grid, the Fort Kent area in far northern Maine is connected to the New Brunswick Power Company. The prevailing characteristics of the region are “electrical isolation, large geographic size, small electricity demand, and modest population.” , said a May 2023 forecast from the Northern Maine Independent System Administrator, which manages northern Maine’s transmission system and the electric power markets in Aroostook and Washington counties.
The population of Aroostook and Washington counties was less than 99,000 in 2022.
Northern Maine is unique because most of its generation comes from renewable resources, the forecast said. Solar represents just under 10% of the region’s 109 megawatt capacity, the bulk of which comes from wind and hydropower, according to the system’s independent director.
Versant Power, the region’s energy supplier, said that since 2020 it has worked with developers to connect more than 140 megawatts of solar energy to the grid, and has processed more than 1,780 applications to connect renewable energy generators to the distribution grid in the same four regions. -A period of one year. It works with owners of more than 400 projects to integrate 382 megawatts of renewable energy in northern and eastern Maine, exceeding the region’s total electricity demand.
Versant said it expects similar power conditions in the Fort Kent area on sunny days in the spring and fall when conditions are best for solar energy production and moderate temperatures lead to lower electricity demand.
The ability to rely on sunlight for energy – even for a few hours – is due in part to the decentralization of power generation that allows small producers to feed electricity into the grid.
“Reimagining the purpose of our grid, which was originally built to deliver power one-way, is no easy task in a rural state with diverse needs,” said John Flynn, president of Versant.
In contrast to the original one-way economic model of the electric grid—sending power from utilities to their customers—decentralized forms of energy production, known as “distributed generation,” increasingly produce energy that is sent to utilities, which in turn supply electricity to their customers.
“I think it’s a great day for Maine to generate its own electricity and not have to go out of state,” said Bob Cleaves, co-founder and lead investor of Dirigo Solar, which powers Versant.
The Portland-based solar developer has three projects under development in Limestone, Massardis and Sherman, Cleaves said. Started in 2015, Dirigo has invested $150 million in Maine and operates seven solar projects, generating more than 100 megawatts of solar power, which is cheaper for Versant customers than the state’s standard offering, which is the default, he said.
Dirigo sells power to Versant for 3.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, and customers pay 7 cents — far less than the standard offer of 11.3 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Cleaves credited a 2019 Maine law for expanding solar energy in the state by expanding incentives in a policy known as net-zero energy billing. The incentives have attracted strong interest from solar developers while drawing criticism for being too generous at the expense of electricity ratepayers who support the program.
“As a result, until 2019, there was very little load produced domestically,” Cleaves said, referring to electricity consumption.
He said the expansion of community solar projects — so-called solar farms that serve as alternatives to rooftop solar and are not suitable for sparsely populated areas — has allowed Aroostook County to develop its own energy. He said the number of solar farms in Aroostook County now exceeds the electricity load, and he promises to produce more 100% solar energy.
“You’re going to see more of these events,” Cleaves said.
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