Don’t forget to submit to next summer’s Saltwater issue of the Island Reader! Deadline is December 1st. Click the link below to learn more about submission details.

The Island Reader Volume 11, Summer 2017

Late last week Congress passed the new Federal budget. Included was an extension for five years of the 30% tax credit for investments in renewable energy. The credit had been scheduled to end in 2016; Congress’ action was a surprise even for people in the solar industry.

This change in the law means that we can reduce the cost of power on the island by slowing our transition to solar. The technology of battery storage is evolving very rapidly and prices for both solar panels and batteries are falling. This means the longer we wait the less expensive the system will be, but it doesn’t change our basic strategy. We are still faced with the problem of preparing for a sudden failure of the cable.

Consequently, we expect to invest less in the initial system but will design it so that it (1) puts us in a position to rapidly build out to a fully independent system in the event of a cable failure, and (2) gives us the experience we need operating the technology.

In short, we will start the project at about the same time as before. We will not invest as much initially and will put the emphasis on preparation for a quick build-out after a cable failure. And we will hope the cable holds on for a few more years!

For more information, “Like” the IAH Power Company’s Facebook page here.

From: Isle au Haut Comprehensive Plan Review and Implementation Committee (CPRIC)
To: Isle au Haut Community Members
Subject: September 2015 Update
Date: September 7, 2015

In 2012, the citizens of Isle au Haut and the State of Maine approved the Isle au Haut Comprehensive Plan. The plan addresses 13 critical areas, documenting town policies for each area and suggesting specific strategies for the town to focus on for its future health. Since the plan’s approval in 2012, few strategies have been implemented. Therefore, in June 2015, the selectmen approved the formation of the Isle au Haut Comprehensive Plan Review and Implementation Committee (CPRIC). The task of this committee is to review the existing plan and to work with the town in prioritizing which strategies to implement.

It has been just over 2 months since the Comprehensive Plan Review and Implementation Committee was formed. This will be the first of many updates to inform the community of our progress. Additional information can be found on the new Isle au Haut town website in the comprehensive planning section.

Our first meeting was on June 23, 2015, and we have met 5 additional times since then. These are the highlights of our progress:

• CPRIC members have reviewed the plan and determined that the plan approved by the town in 2012 is a good plan. We do not intend to rewrite the plan.
• The 2012 plan contains 89 actionable strategies, a few of which are duplicates. A summary of the policies and strategies for each of the 13 chapters can be found on the home page and CPRIC section of the town website. Hard copies are available to browse at the Island Store, Revere Memorial Library, and town hall reading room. Please take a few minutes to review this plan summary at your convenience.
• The committee’s primary focus is on implementing the 2012 plan’s strategies. 89 strategies represents a lot for a small community like ours, so the committee has begun to prioritize the strategies.
• To assist in prioritizing the strategies, the committee has created and launched a short survey to gauge the opinions and priorities of the community. Every one of the questions asked on this survey relates to at least one of the strategies in the 2012 comprehensive plan. The survey will be open to Isle au Haut community members through the end of September 2015. You can complete an online version of the survey here: http://goo.gl/forms/wErjYrYMXB Links to this survey are available on the home page of the town website and on the town Facebook group. For those without Internet access, hard copies of the survey are available at the Island Store. Please return completed hard copy surveys to the box at the store or to Meghan Cooper.
• The committee has launched a process to engage community members as we review each chapter of the plan. With your help, we hope to evaluate the thoroughness of each section and the respective implementation strategies. We hope that you will be open to participating in conversations about these chapters. We welcome your input at any of our meetings.
• By the end of September or early October, we plan to have a short list of 5-10 top priority strategies to share with the community.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Friday, September 18 at 5:30 PM at the Town Hall. All community members are welcome to attend any and all of our meetings. Together we can work toward a strong future for our island.

DOCUMENTARY NIGHT

Town Hall Sundays @ 7:00pm

All Donations to support the Lighthouse Renovation.

Sunday September 6^th               Wrecking Crew

Music lovers will be astonished at the influence The Wrecking Crew wielded over rock and pop music in the 1960s and early 1970s. These unsung instrumentalists were the de-facto backing band on hit records by The Beach Boys, Phil Spector, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, Sonny & Cher, Elvis, The Monkees and many more. These dedicated musicians brought the flair and musicianship that made the American “West Coast Sound” a dominant cultural force around the world.

Sunday September 13               Going Clear: Scientology

A devastating two hour documentary based on Lawrence Wright’s book of the same name. Scientology is laid bare by a film that skilfully knits together archive footage, testimonials from former high ranking officials and public, and dramatic reconstruction

Sunday September 20               Lambert & Stamp

In early ’60s London, aspiring filmmakers Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert set out to make a documentary about dissatisfied youth but, instead, discover and mentor a band which eventually evolved into the rock legend the Who.

Sunday September 27               Iris

IRIS pairs legendary 87-year-old documentarian Albert Maysles with Iris Apfel, the quick-witted, flamboyantly dressed 93-year-old style maven who has had an outsized presence on the New York fashion scene for decades. More than a fashion film, the documentary is a story about creativity and how, even in Iris’ dotage, a soaring free spirit continues to inspire. IRIS portrays a singular woman whose enthusiasm for fashion, art and people are life’s sustenance and reminds us that dressing, and indeed life, is nothing but an experiment.

The current Isle au Haut comprehensive planning effort began in 2006. A committee of volunteers, comprised of both seasonal and year-round residents, conducted a public opinion survey, took inventory of local resource areas, and facilitated periodic public meetings in order to develop a plan reflecting the community’s current needs and priorities. The plan was completed in 2011 and approved in 2012 at the Isle au Haut Annual Town Meeting. Soon thereafter, it was approved by the State of Maine. The comprehensive plan does not enact ordinances or regulations. It does, however, provide a basis for future land use ordinances and town policies.

In accordance with state guidelines, every five years an implementation committee should review and evaluate any major changes in the community, ensure that the plan is still relevant, and revise it to reflect the collective community opinion. The Isle au Haut Comprehensive Plan Review and Implementation Committee was recently formed to accomplish these objectives.

The original plan from 2012 and many other documents are now available on the town web site, https://www.isleauhautmaine.us. Our goals are to engage the community, to update our goals, strategies, and implementation plans, and to have the entire plan revised for review and approval at the 2016 Isle au Haut Town Meeting

While we are still in the process of formalizing a project plan, we want this to be a transparent process with extensive community engagement. We will post meeting dates and times on the town website, on the town Facebook page, and at the town hall and store. All residents are welcome to attend all regularly scheduled meetings. We encourage and welcome your participation in the revision process.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to participate in this review process and/or if you have any questions or suggestions.

Paul Lewis                                         Meghan Cooper
Former Chairman                            Former Project Manager

This month marks the beginning of the second year of our campaign to correct major structural issues threatening our lighthouse and to restore some of the historic characteristics that made it the most advanced lighthouse station in Maine, including the huge fog bell that hung from the tower on its seaward side. Last fall over one hundred islanders, summer folks, and lovers of the island launched this effort with generous cash donations. This month, our activities will be focused on fun! Please mark your calendars and come join us for these most enjoyable events:

Sunday, August 9 – Open Lighthouse Tower from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Come and learn about the history of the lighthouse and the serious structural problems we must rectify. Old photographs showing the tower at its turn-of-the-century prime will be on display. Please walk in from the Town Road, as there is no parking space at the station, although folks unable to traverse the distance on foot may be dropped off and picked up. If you like, bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the inn grounds, courtesy of the Keeper’s House.

Tuesday, August 11 – Fourth Annual IAH Triathlon. Meet at the pond to register at 9:00 AM. The race organizers are donating this year’s proceeds to The Lighthouse Fund and the Tri-Tee shirt this year is emblazoned with a full-color image of the lighthouse. Sign up at the Shore Shop or the store.

Saturday, August 15 – The Lighthouse Benefit Auction. This is the big event, folks! During the Silent Auction preview from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, enjoy an hors d’oeuvres feast and punch while Kristin entertains with concert harp. Tim Sawyer will be calling out your bids during the Live Auction from 7:00 to 8:00. You could walk home with anything from a spanking new Westmac 20 HP skiff to a tote of legendary Ralph Chapin’s gnarly old wood pot buoys. There’s still time for you to join the cause! To donate an item for the auction, contact Rosie (335-2301), Bernie (335-5111) or Diane (616-915-0200).

Keep the Light Shining!

The Isle au Haut Electric Power Company will hold an informational meeting on Sunday, July 19 at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall. The meeting is intended to be an informal discussion of our investigations into a new source of power for the island. These investigations have focused on two alternatives — a replacement for our current cable and a solar/battery/diesel hybrid system. We have hired SGC Engineering to help us evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of each. A representative of the SGC team will be at the meeting. We feel this is an important decision for the island and would appreciate thoughtful input from the community. A second informational meeting will be held in mid-August and the topic will be a major item of discussion at the company’s annual meeting August 29.

2015 is the second year of our campaign to renovate the lighthouse. Major structural issues will be addressed as well as refinishing the entire tower, with the physical implementation hopefully next year. Most striking of all, with the support of the State Office of Historic Preservation, our plans include resurrecting a huge fog bell on the seaward side of the lighthouse, which can be tolled manually for appropriate occasions. During the past year, we have raised about $30,000 for the project, but we have a long way to go, so the following activities will be crucial this summer as well as fun for all:

1. The Annual Triathlon this summer, scheduled for Tuesday, August 11, will be a fundraiser for the lighthouse. It will be organized by the experienced super-team of Erica, Debbie, and Judi. Get out that bike and start training: do it alone or with a team! (As always, Isle au Haut events have very few rules other than having fun.)

2. Lighthouse Auction, scheduled for August 15 at the Town Hall. Please search through your garage and parlor, see what you might donate for the auction, and consider signing up to help with the event. To donate an item or service or to sign up to help with the auction, please contact Jeff at jburkemeaz[at]gmail.com.

3. Arranged docent-guided tours of the tower and lighthouse station. Come visit your lighthouse and learn about the restoration project.

4. The Lighthouse Committee has a few secrets as well, so be prepared this summer for some surprise events!

5. With the encouragement of the Isle au Haut Historical Society, we are writing a historical compendium of the Isle au Haut lighthouse station. Oral histories, memoirs, historical biographies of the lighthouse keepers, natural science and maritime history, even a ghost story or two, everything that adds to the magic will be brewed into this work-in-progress. Kindly search your memories and your attic files for any tidbits that might add dimension, humor, facts, or photos to this collective project. Once it’s in print, all donors to the lighthouse fund of $100 or more will receive a complimentary copy.  To contribute information, please contact Jeff at jburkemeaz[at]gmail.com.

The board is planning for a new source of power for the island.

As you know our cable is 32 years old this year. Every submarine cable expert we’ve talked to is amazed that it has operated without any problems for this long. The lack of problems is undoubtedly due to the care and thought Parker Waite and Russ Devereaux put into proper placement of the cable. The island owes them a big, big thank you.

Unfortunately, we can’t count on the cable lasting forever. If it were to fail suddenly and we had to supply power through the diesel generator the cost of electricity on the island would increase to around $0.85/kWh and reliability would fall. It is clear to the board of the power company that we have to do our best to avoid that kind of economic disaster. What we are looking for is a way to make a seamless transition to a new source of power.

We have just contracted with SGC Engineering in Bangor. We’ve asked them to help us plan that transition. In the near future they will give us preliminary estimates of the cost of a new cable and the cost of a community solar system serving the entire island. The reason we are considering solar is because its costs have fallen dramatically in the last few years; at the same time the costs of submarine cables have risen.

The initial estimates SGC has received for the cost of a new cable are very high, close to a million dollars! We have been setting aside money in a cable fund, but that fund has not kept pace with the rising costs of cable. So the bottom line at this time is that a new cable would mean a substantial increase in the cost of electricity, as much as 50%.

The most cost effective alternative appears to be a community solar/battery/diesel hybrid system. A system like this would power the island grid with a large field of solar panels — less than an acre — and a set of very large batteries. The batteries store the electricity from the solar panels so that it can be used at night and on cloudy, foggy days. We would retain the diesel as a back-up for extended periods of fog and heavy clouds.

Like solar, the costs of ‘utility scale’ batteries have fallen very fast, largely because they use entirely new technologies. These are not lead acid batteries like you use in your car. There are three kinds of batteries that we are considering— very large utility scale lithium-ion, vanadium flow and aqueous-ion. If you could imagine three or four shipping containers (8’x8’x16’), that is about the size/volume of batteries a community system like ours would require.

At this time we do not have solid costs for a community solar system for the island. However, solar costs elsewhere are getting to be close to our current costs. Getting a better handle on these costs is the most important thing we’ve asked SGC to do.

One important aspect of a solar system is worth mentioning at this time. On a sunny day the batteries in a solar system are usually charged by mid-day. For the remainder of the day the solar panels can produce power but, if there is no way to use it; it is simply excess. If there were a way to use this excess, a solar system could be much more economical. Using smart meters, this excess could be sold for a price well below the normal kWh price, maybe about half the equivalent cost of heating oil. Possible uses might be storing that energy in individual houses as hot water for home heating, running freezers, charging electric cars, and so on. We could also sell some of this excess to the mainland for as long as our cable continues to operate. Use of this excess power could save people on the island a lot of money and at the same time help make the solar system more efficient and cheaper. But people would have to invest in ways to use this energy. One of the things we have asked SGC to look into is the different ways this excess power might be used.

This summer we plan to hold two public meetings to explain the results of the SGC work and to discuss the power company plans and to answer questions. Our first meeting is tentatively scheduled for July 19th or 20th. The second meeting will be held around the 16th or 17th of August. In addition, we will have the company’s annual meeting on August 29th.

For those of you who like to do ‘homework’, sometime in the next week I will post internet links to information about community solar systems, the new kind of batteries and other items that may be of interest.