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Sources of Power for New England 2003.
Energy on the Vineyard Today
Our present primary sources of energy are oil, propane, gasoline and electricity generated primarily from natural gas, nuclear, coal and oil (in that order). A small amount of local wood is burned for heat but even cordwood is primarily from off island. Generation from small wind turbines and the various solar systems on the island do not yet produce a meaningful percentage of our energy needs.

Energy costs contribute to our higher cost of living on the island. Our energy bill in 2005 was more than $64 million, an 8% increase over 2002. More than 99% of this energy is produced off-island, representing a serious leak in the local economy.

Importing energy also exposes the island to risks associated with moving energy long distances, the higher costs thereof, and the concerns regarding interruption of supply. Shipping fossil fuels by ferry or barge adds to our risk.

About two-thirds of our energy is used for heating, cooling and lighting our buildings and appliances and machinery. Motorized means of transportation --ferries and personal watercraft, aircraft, motor vehicles and mopeds—account for the remainder of the Island’s total energy consumption.

Electric power is delivered via four 23.2 kiloVolt (kV) underwater cables connected to the mainland. Three of these cables can carry up to 18 MW; one can carry 8.5 MW. There are no substations on the island. Transmitting electricity long distances is extremely inefficient and exposes us to periodic interruptions. The Vineyard’s peak electricity usage level (about 50 megawatts) is fast approaching the maximum capacity of those ageing cables.

But the amount of electricity we use is not the whole picture. Electricity generation is an inefficient use of fuel. When transmission losses are also taken into account, it takes about three units of energy at the electricity generation power plant to produce one unit for use on the Vineyard.

Currently, our electric power is supplied via competitive bidding by independent power suppliers. NStar is our local power distributor. Generating electricity locally is seen as one way to help stabilize our energy costs while providing a steady source of local jobs and local capital. If generated from renewable sources, it appreciably lessens our carbon dioxide emissions.

Power Suppliers
Our closest power plants are the Canal plant in Sandwich, which has two units, one oil burning and one oil or gas burning; Pilgrim in Plymouth, a nuclear plant; Dartmouth Power, a gas burning unit; Somerset, an oil burning plant; and Brayton Point in Somerset, a plant which can burn coal or oil and some gas.

Our electricity, however, comes from the entire New England region, and is based on a schedule of power plant operation based on the prices bid by the individual power plant owners for each hour. This is further affected by the fact that there are three types of power plants which have to be coordinated: base load plants that run 24 hours a day (nuclear, some oil or coal); intermediate/cycling plants that take the daily swings of power demand but shut down at night (any fossil fuel); and peaking plants that get on line fast to provide for short term peak demand (gas or light oil).

Did You Know that 40% of Our Power Comes from Coal-Fired and Nuclear Power Plants?

The sources of electricity in New England in 2003 came from: 35% natural gas, 27% nuclear, 13% coal, 10% oil, 9% hydro, 5% wood or solid waste, and 4% other.

Renewable Power Sources
The State has set a goal of having 4% of our electricity come from renewable sources by 2009. This is called the “Renewable Portfolio Standard” and requires power suppliers to meet this standard.

Solar electricity is of great value to our region because it makes power during times of "peak demand". This when electricity is most expensive and means that generating solar electricity is beneficial to the island both from a cost and an environmental standpoint.

If large scale wind is added to our electricity mix, it will be a “must run” unit because there is no way to control when the wind blows. When it’s online, it will displace the most expensive power plants running and benefit the region as a whole.

This is also the kind of condition that occurs in the rivers of New England during the spring run-off when the reservoirs are full. The power plants must use the water that flows into the system at the time or let it flow through a spillway, thus losing the energy.

In the future, both solar and wind energy may be stored as hydrogen- by taking the power generated and using it to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. Storing the power as hydrogen would allow us to use it when needed or use it to power fuel-cells in vehicles or other places. Or cars may be designed to store power at night and release excess power to the utility grid during the day.