Maine State Library Maine State Documents Governor's Energy Office Documents Governor 2-2015 Maine Hydropower Study Maine Governor's Energy Office Randall Dorman Kleinschmidt Group, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalmaine.com/energy_docs Recommended Citation Maine Governor's Energy Office and Dorman, Randall, "Maine Hydropower Study" (2015). Governor's Energy Officeo D cuments. 33. http://digitalmaine.com/energy_docs/33 This Text is brought to you for free and open access by the Governor at Maine State Documents. It has been accepted for inclusion in Governor's Energy Office Documents by an authorized administrator of Maine State Documents. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MAINE HYDROPOWER STUDY Prepared for: Maine Governor’s Energy Office Augusta, Maine Prepared by: Pittsfield, Maine www.KleinschmidtGroup.com February 2015 MAINE HYDROPOWER STUDY Prepared for: Maine Governor’s Energy Office Augusta, Maine Prepared by: Pittsfield, Maine www.KleinschmidtGroup.com February 2015 MAINE HYDROPOWER STUDY MAINE GOVERNOR’S ENERGY OFFICE AUGUSTA, MAINE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The primary goals of Maine Hydropower Study were twofold: (1) develop an inventory of existing and potential hydropower resources, and (2) identify potential regulatory changes to facilitate development of these resources. INVENTORY OF POTENTIAL HYDROPOWER An inventory of Conventional Hydropower Development at existing powered and unpowered dam sites in Maine was made. The screening analysis identified 110 total sites at powered and non-powered dams with potential for installation of 193 MW of additional capacity. As a result of limitations of the screening analysis, these estimates are considered an upper limit of development and generation potential. Application of estimated development cost and potential revenue data to these sites indicates that while many existing dam sites have hydroelectric development potential, these opportunities do not appear economic under current market conditions. In addition, when environmental and regulatory considerations are taken into account, 47 sites with 56 MW of potential capacity showed significant development potential for conventional hydropower development. Based on the results of the conventional hydropower inventory, the following additional investigations are recommended for consideration: • Identify potential for conduit hydropower development; • Identify potential of adding minimum flow units at existing hydropower sites; • Analyze the commercial viability of emerging hydropower technologies; and • Analyze the role of grid interconnection as a potential barrier to future hydropower development. MAINE HYDROPOWER STUDY - i - The inventory of Hydrokinetic Sites conducted as part of this study was limited by a lack of consistent data necessary to fully evaluate site potential, and a process and funding should be developed to properly assess priority tidal and river sites. Nonetheless, review of available information indicates the State’s resources are conducive to marine and hydrokinetic development. Maine is well positioned to play a leadership role in the development of the national marine and hydrokinetic industry based on proven industry/academic partnerships and an existing supply chain. The following recommendations for further investigation include: • Develop consistent data in order to fully evaluate hydrokinetic sites; • Identify marine and hydrokinetic sites in proximity to Maine communities with high cost of power, which could allow for high power costs to be reduced while offering opportunities for market entry by technology developers; • Identify infrastructure projects at or in the vicinity of marine hydrokinetic resources, which could offer the opportunity for reduced installation and maintenance costs; • Identify existing conventional hydropower that could incorporate new hydrokinetic units; and • Use the Adaptive Management Plan process governing the Cobscook Bay Tidal Energy Project’s licensing requirements as a model for other MHK projects. REGULATORY REVIEW Hydropower is capital intensive and has a long payback period, making the economics of most new projects marginal. A survey of hydropower developers found that the three greatest hurdles to hydropower development in Maine are perceived to be (1) project permitting/licensing, (2) project financing, and (3) infrastructure limitations. Project Permitting/Licensing: The length, cost, and uncertainty associated with permitting a new project (or, for that matter, relicensing an existing project) were cited as major hurdles to new development. These concerns encompassed both federal and state regulatory processes. Recommendations from the respondents for improving this included: • Establish a “Hydropower Coordinator” for all of the state agencies on hydropower licensing and related regulatory reviews, to ensure consistency with the State’s policy goals of balancing hydropower and non-hydropower uses of Maine’s waters. To be effective, the hydropower coordinator would need to be empowered to make final decisions on the State’s positions related to the project licensing and permitting. • Conduct an in-depth review of Maine’s 401 water quality standards and the criteria used to evaluate whether hydropower projects meet those standards, including both MAINE HYDROPOWER STUDY - ii - numeric and narrative standards, as well as designated uses. As part of the review the State should examine the open-ended timeline associated with 401 certification; as currently implemented this practice adds considerable uncertainty to project licensing and permitting. Project Financing: While the State cannot directly affect the price of power, respondents had several suggested ways that Maine could affect the value of hydropower generation: • Review and revise the Maine RPS and eligibility requirements such that more new conventional hydropower development, if not all hydropower development, is classified as a Class 1 renewable; • Consider legislation that allows for the Public Utilities Commission to solicit pricing for long-term contracts for existing and new hydro facilities, and if the price is deemed prudent, to direct the utilities to enter into agreements for this power; • Develop a State-sponsored hydropower project financing authority and funding mechanism to attract new hydropower technologies to the State; • Modify Maine’s existing capital investment programs to better support the capital and financing needs of the private sector, in addition to municipalities; and • Amend Chapter 329, which provides incentives for the development of “community based” renewable projects, to remove the 51% resident ownership requirement–allowing more projects to qualify for the program. InfrastructureLimitations: Grid interconnection was identified as a significant potential hurdle to hydropower development in Maine. Some of the issues associated with grid connection are related to the cost associated with lack of consistency in grid tie-in requirements, depending on the location and ownership of the transmission facilities. In Maine, a potentially bigger problem associated with grid connection is the remoteness of potential project sites and the lack of existing transmission within the immediate vicinity of these sites. MAINE HYDROPOWER STUDY - iii - MAINE HYDROPOWER STUDY MAINE GOVERNOR’S ENERGY OFFICE AUGUSTA, MAINE TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. I DEFINITIONS OF TERMS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS .................................... VII 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ............................................................................ 1-1 1.2 HYDRO IN MAINE .................................................................................................. 1-2 1.2.1 LICENSED PROJECTS ................................................................................. 1-3 1.2.2 EXEMPTED PROJECTS ................................................................................ 1-5 1.2.3 UNLICENSED PROJECTS ............................................................................. 1-7 1.2.4 QUALIFYING CONDUIT HYDROPOWER FACILITIES .................................... 1-9 2.0 ASSESSMENT OF NEW HYDRO POTENTIAL.......................................................... 2-1 2.1 CONVENTIONAL HYDROPOWER ASSESSMENT ....................................................... 2-3 2.1.1 METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................ 2-4 2.1.1.1 HYDROLOGY AND ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT ....................... 2-5 2.1.1.2 REGULATORY ASSESSMENT .................................................... 2-8 2.1.2 POWERED DAMS ASSESSMENT ................................................................ 2-23 2.1.3 UNPOWERED DAMS ASSESSMENT ........................................................... 2-29 2.1.4 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES ..................................................................... 2-36 2.1.4.1 CLEAN POWER AS – (TURBINATOR) ..................................... 2-36 2.1.4.2 MJ2 TECHNOLOGIES – (VERY LOW HEAD TURBINE) ............ 2-37 2.1.4.3 3 HELIX POWER & ANDRITZ-ALTRO – (ARCHIMEDES SCREW) ................................................................................. 2-38 2.2 MARINE AND HYDROKINETIC INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITIES