U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) on Monday announced that the nonprofit Island Institute will partner with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to address high energy costs, reliability and infrastructure challenges faced by Maine’s island communities.
“This partnership will harness the Island Institute’s in-depth knowledge of Maine’s coastal communities and the Department of Energy’s expertise to help provide low-cost power,” Sen. Collins said in a statement.
The 37-year-old Island Institute, based in Rockland, Maine, works to sustain the state’s island and coastal communities via partnerships that provide community development work focused on several priorities, including the marine economy, climate and energy, small business, and education.
Island Institute is one of five community-based partners from across the country participating in the DOE’s Energy Transitions Initiative (ETI) Partnership Program, which was made possible by $3 million in federal funds included in the fiscal year 2020 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill. Sen. Collins authored the related provision included in the law as a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee.
“Maine’s islands are special places that have often been inhabited by members of the same families for generations,” said Sen. Collins. “One of the persistent challenges these communities face, however, is maintaining affordable, reliable access to electricity. As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I strongly pushed for the funding to support islands with developing innovative energy solutions for residents.”
Specifically, the ETI Partnership Program and the Island Institute will develop cost-effective, resilient energy infrastructure for island communities, according to information provided by the senator’s office.
Sen. Collins, a long-time champion of her home state’s island and coastal communities, in September announced that Maine’s Isle au Haut received more than $200,000 to install a solar power array that will enable the island to receive 100 percent of electricity from solar power, according to her office.