<
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18112024/united-states-easternmost-city-could-be-model-of-renewable-future/>
"If you trace the path of one electrical transmission line up the coast of
Maine, through and around the state’s rocky outcroppings and over a long
causeway, you’ll finally reach the island city of Eastport, 40 miles from the
transmission line’s origin. Here, at the line’s terminus, sits the U.S.’s
easternmost city and the East Coast’s deepest port, once a thriving hub of
imports by sea.
Today, the city is home to about 1,300 residents, who are no strangers to the
harsh winds and strong rains that give remote islands like this one their
rugged character. When big storms rip through, as back-to-back nor’easters did
this January, Eastport loses its sole tenuous connection to electricity from
the mainland. In 2018, the city’s backup diesel generator shut down and was
never replaced, leaving residents to buy their own gas generators or sit in the
dark and wait out the hours until the utility could restore power.
“We’re yankees. We’re used to it. We got candles and lanterns stashed away, and
we usually get a bucket of water when it looks like the power is going to go
out,” said Jeanne Peacock, an Eastport city councilor and founding member of
the city’s energy committee. “But it would be nice for everybody else if that
didn’t happen.”
The quest to make Eastport energy resilient has put the city at the forefront
of Maine’s renewable energy transition and made it a leader in energy
independence work for remote communities in the state and beyond."
Via
Reasons to be Cheerful:
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/what-were-reading-eastport-maine-energy-independence/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
