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GraniteGeekNH t1_je5eutb wrote

Tidal / wave power is the renewable equivalent of small modular nuclear reactors - perfectly good idea that has never worked in practice and probably never will because of cost (maintaining equipment in moving salt water is beyond a nightmare)

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costabius t1_je5nnlc wrote

I think the biggest problem is people thinking of it like a water version of solar power. Waves and tides are everywhere so just toss out some generators and soak up the free electricity. The engineering problems and maintenance requirements mean there are a tiny number of viable sites for tidal power.

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No_Landscape4557 t1_je9e4lb wrote

I can only imagine the absolute shit storm that would arise for someone proposing tidal power.

It will “ruin” fishing industry, it will forever destroy our little coastal town. “Don’t use our town for your profit” , it will destroy our ocean habitat and so on and so on.

Yea I bet like OP wrote, CMP is utterly terrified of tidal power.

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Sufficient_Risk1684 t1_je5rtke wrote

And even if you did get a working system, an area with sea ice in the winter would probably destroy it.

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costabius t1_je6e93f wrote

That's an engineering challenge, either you design around the problem or that eliminates another set of potential generation locations.

Sea ice isn't insurmountable, you can submerge generators underneath it, but that needs a system that is self-contained and doesn't require maintenance in the winter. Probably not a solution for grid connections, but small scale for powering beacons or research tasks.

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salvelinustrout t1_je9ahyd wrote

And unlike with conventional hydro dams where the point of entry for the water powering the turbine is (relatively) small and feasible to keep clear of debris, no tidal generators have been designed yet that aren’t pretty easily fucked by a single submerged log or other significant piece of jetsam.

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lucidlilacdream t1_je6nhm1 wrote

There are tidal power stations currently in use, so it does work in practice.

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phineas81 t1_je8cgdg wrote

What’s the cost/kwh? Solar in Maine is about 13 cents, which is about twice the national average, but still pretty darn good. I have a 5kw roof and rarely get an electric bill.

I’m not opposed to tidal at all, btw. I support a diverse energy portfolio, but the economics have to make sense or it’ll never get off the ground.

Decentralized energy production is the future, I think. Well, I hope it is anyway.

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GraniteGeekNH t1_je9xrlp wrote

It does work, you're right - maintenance is the issue. That's the cost problem.

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the_wookie_of_maine t1_je66b7w wrote

Saltwater is part of the problem.

The other part is marine life, from slicing fish to barnacles inhabiting everywhere. The maintenance to keep a turbine/mounting system clear would be huge.

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Alphatron1 t1_je7l4in wrote

I don’t want Southland tales to become a reality

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Vexans t1_je6yosu wrote

I would also imagine the personnel time/safety concerns are pretty high and marine environment for this kind of project as well.

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Salmonredd t1_je5s5m1 wrote

We can’t even agree on land based fish farms, ropes on lobster traps or expanding transmission corridors, now we think tidal energy is going to be welcome? Too funny.

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Carleton_Willard t1_jeabrai wrote

Im all for this, it's clearly working in other regions and certainly makes sense on Maines vast coast. I dont understand the heading though "What the GIANTS behind C.M.P. don't want you to know!" ? How is this anti-CMP? Id have to give CMP some credit as our monthly average bill nationally is now near the top (7th least expensive utility in the US) thanks to renewable efforts.

It should read: "What the FOSSIL FUEL GIANTS don't want you to know!"

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manual84 t1_jeagelg wrote

Exactly. This is really a reminder that the fossil fuel companies have a chokehold on us and there are so many other ways we can harness power that are renewable and won't require us to poison the earth. Electric power can come through so many different ways and the more we know about it the better!

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izzygreene207 t1_jebbsyy wrote

Well, not really a CMP thing here considering they only only control distribution, but a great thing to be pushing for diversified supply! In Maine we are clearly exposed to the Atlantic Ocean and high winds, we should be using it to our advantage. The more options the better, it will only help cut the reliance (and once gouging profits) from the natural gas companies.

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mainething OP t1_jec80dm wrote

Yes ... my gnawing concern is that the people who choose to live and die here will overlook the fact that Avangrid ( the force behind the C.M.P. mask) is one of the world's largest promoters and harvesters of wind energy. It is important to point out that on the one hand, that is "terrific news", but since it will be our geography and resources they will exploit to harvest this energy,  - It is my opinion that if we don't "keep our dog in the fight" - Maine will simply be used and abused.

 Why do I say that, you might ask?  Well, their complete, callous, and maddening disregard for Maine's interests, ideals and treasures as seen in their frenzied bulldozer march to Quebec that ignited our citizens is proof enough. 
Avangrid's teams of international law lawyers that hover threateningly over our courts this very moment, is still more proof for me, that there will be no friendly compromise that will reward Maine's economic and energy future.
And so my current focus on getting Maine to invest in their own energy future. I was inoculated in the 50's and 60's when my dad would come back to the farm from his Senate seat in Augusta to help milk the cows. He would tell us how laws were crafted with the help and guidance of lawyers/lobbyists representing the paper and power companies - how it would be otherwise impossible to be informed enough without them.. Over the years I have witnessed the dual edge of that tool.

Despite being an octogenarian, I remain positive and convinced that playing an active role in Maine's future is our single most important focus.

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clong1111 t1_jeciden wrote

Cmp gets a bad rap for everything regarding Maines energy situation. The supply companies are to blame even more so than CMP.. on the topic of tidal energy, I think it’d be great to explore those options for Maine. We have easy access to it and it seems to be a proven and effective form of energy.

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Ok_W0W t1_jecdy06 wrote

Wait, why don’t the “giants” behind CMP want us to know this? CMP has nothing to do with generation/supply of energy

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Ok_W0W t1_jece8d8 wrote

Ummm, more like the fossil fuel GIANTS behind N.E.X.T.E.R.A would have a problem with this

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Mainer2727 t1_jeaer6m wrote

CMP is really becoming a local punching bag! Tidal energy is a fascinating thing- we have an optimal location for potential access. I'd love to hear more about what this could bring to our communities in terms of jobs, resources, and profits.

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ppitm t1_je6ngdl wrote

Strong winds? What? No.

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