Tag: Clean Energy

The US’s Easternmost City Could Be a Model for the Country’s Renewable Future

Posted by & filed under In the news.

In 2021, the city of Eastport, with support from Island Institute, was awarded an Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project grant from the Department of Energy with , which funded work to develop localized energy generation and storage.

Now, a community-driven initiative is developing solar and tidal power to feed a microgrid. It would allow the island community to weather hours of outages, detached from the main electrical grid without the high costs and carbon footprint of diesel. The grant launched the feasibility studies and produced the plans for the transition that Eastport is in the middle of building out.

Island Institute Welcomes Jessica Reilly-Moman as Director of Climate and Community

Posted by & filed under Press Release.

Island Institute is pleased to announce that Jessica Reilly-Moman, Ph.D., will be joining the organization as the Director of the Center for Climate and Community. A dedicated social scientist, ecologist, and writer, Dr. Reilly-Moman brings over twenty-five years of experience and a deep passion for accelerating climate action for coastal communities.

Electric Outboard Course Sparks Enthusiasm with Expert Instruction and Engaged Learners

Posted by & filed under Blog.

After 20 years as a K-12 island educator, I often experienced the joy of student learning. Now that I mostly work with adults, I find myself missing the outward display of happiness that young students exhibit in a learning setting. While adults certainly experience joy when they learn something new, it is often a more subdued response, especially in formal settings like classrooms and professional development sessions.

Maine State Ferry Service Reports Released

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National firm KPFF Consulting Engineers completed their reports on the Maine State Ferry Service (MSFS) in March, a culmination of 2 years of work collaborating with Island Institute, islanders, and the Maine Department of Transportation (DOT). This effort largely does two things: 1) gives a clear baseline of where the service is today in a format easily understood and publicly available and 2) opens the door to whole-systems thinking around where the service could go based on Maine islander needs and comparable systems.

Ticking the box or designing for meaningful change?

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Equity. It’s a concept that many value but can struggle to put into practice. When it comes to the state of Maine’s efforts to develop strategies to aggressively respond to climate change, what does it look like to design with a commitment to equity and to meeting the needs of all Mainers at the center? While much of the world came to a screeching halt this spring, members of the Maine Climate Council’s working groups doubled down on their efforts to develop recommendations on how to reach the state’s climate goals.

Maine islands look to microgrids for energy independence

Posted by & filed under In the news.

Maine’s unique geography is creating opportunities for microgrid developers. The state’s coast is dotted with thousands of islands, many inhabited with populations ranging from a few dozen to more than 10,000. 
These island communities have long had to be creative and resourceful to obtain electricity, but power is often costly. Several are now looking to microgrids as a way to cut costs and rely less on outside sources for power. 

Thermal Scan Camera and LED bulbs available to Rockland residents

Posted by & filed under In the news.

ROCKLAND — The City of Rockland announced that the Energy Committee has been awarded a $2,000 Spark! Grant by the Island Institute. This effort is in conjunction with the recently adopted Rockland Climate Action Plan to move the city to carbon neutrality by 2045. The Island Institute is a community development non-profit based in Rockland.

Fisherman’s Co-op switches to 100% solar energy

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More than 90 people filled boats on Wednesday to go to Islesford to celebrate the installation of new solar panels at the Cranberry Isles Fishermen’s Co-op. The new panels on top of the fishermen co-op’s buildings provide 100-percent of the power. Between grants from the Island Institute and the USDA, Nighman says 60% of the cost was covered.