An Act to Facilitate Testing and Demonstration of Renewable Ocean Energy Technology (Maine)

Last modified on February 12, 2015.

EZFeed Policy

Place	Maine
Name	An Act to Facilitate Testing and Demonstration of Renewable Ocean Energy Technology (Maine)
Policy Category	Other Policy
Policy Type	Siting and Permitting
Affected Technologies	Tidal Energy, Wave Energy, Wind energy
Active Policy	Yes
Implementing Sector	State/Province
Primary Website	http://www.maine.gov/dep/water/dams-hydro/is_tidal_wave_reg.html
Last Review	2014-09-15

Summary

This law streamlines and coordinates State permitting and submerged lands leasing requirements for renewable ocean energy demonstration projects, aiding Maine's goal to become an international proving ground for testing new technologies in specific locations along the coast in an environmentally responsible manner. This law amended the Maine Waterway Development and Conservation Act (MWDCA) to establish a new general permit process for tidal energy demonstration projects. To qualify for a general permit as a tidal energy demonstration project, a project must use tidal action as a source of electrical power; must have a total installed generating capacity of 5 megawatts or less; and must be proposed for the primary purpose of testing tidal energy generation technology, including mooring or anchoring systems and transmission lines, and collecting and assessing information on the environmental and other effects of the technology.

This law also amended the Natural Resources Protection Act (NRPA) to establish a new general permit process for offshore wind energy demonstration projects, including wave energy test projects. To qualify for this general permit, a wave energy test project must use ocean wave energy to produce electricity; be proposed as part of an offshore wind energy demonstration project and be designed and sited to test production of electricity from wave energy in conjunction with and in a manner that complements electricity produced by an offshore wind energy turbine; employ up to 2 wave energy converters, each of which may use different technology, not already in use in the Gulf of Maine for commercial energy production, for the primary purpose of testing and validating the overall design of the converter and related systems; and may include a mooring or anchoring system and an ocean sensor package.

Policy Contact

Contact Name	Kathy Howatt (Hydropower)
Department	Department of Environmental Protection
Division	Water
Address	17 State House Station
Place	Augusta, ME
Zip/Postal Code	04333-0017
Phone	207-446-2642
Email	kathy.howatt@maine.gov
Website	http://www.maine.gov/dep/water/index.html

Authorities (Please contact the if there are any file problems.)

Authority 1:	Chapter 270
Date Enacted	2009