Pembroke eyed for tidal power project

The Pennamaquan River is being considered as a possible site for tidal energy generation. At the June 6 Pembroke selectman's meeting, a project proposed by Ramez Atiya, the Pennamaquan Tidal Power Plant, was discussed. Atiya had proposed a tidal project for Half Moon Cove in Eastport in 2010, but the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) awarded a competing permit to Tidewalker Associates for their project proposal's feasibility study, effectively ending Atiya's proposal for that site for at least three years. Atiya's company, Halcyon Marine Hydroelectric, had proposed using a patented tidal wing technology at the Eastport site.
"The gentleman wants to put in a reversible turbine dam on the Pembroke river," says Selectman Milan Jamieson about the Pembroke proposal. "The cost would be around $80 million dollars. The number of jobs created, we don't know yet. There will be some jobs, but we have no numbers. We're just waiting to see what happens. He's got his FERC permit, and he's progressing along at the right amount of speed."
According to the preliminary permit application filed with FERC, which is available online, the proposed project would consist of a 692‑acre tidal area of the Pennamaquan River and Cobscook Bay; two new impervious core, sand and crushed rock embankments, one 689‑feet‑long and another 164‑feet‑long; a 505‑foot‑long concrete modular wall panel extending about 11 feet above mean sea level consisting of concrete support columns, a boat lift, and a powerhouse with four reversible bulb generating units with a total capacity of 21.1 megawatts; and a new 35-kilovolt, 2.5‑mile‑long transmission line. The project would produce an estimated average annual generation of about 66,400 megawatt‑hours.
"It's quite a project to get ready," says Selectman Al Goodwin. "You're going to have to go through FERC, at least two years in FERC, then it's got to go through the State of Maine, because it's in state waters. But all the permits come from the federal government. The potential here is for some jobs, and some tax dollars coming into the town of Pembroke."
Jamieson stresses an open invitation for Pembroke residents to attend the selectmen's meetings. "These meetings are open to the public. They're every two weeks at 6 p.m. at the fire house. Any time they have a question, they all have mine, Joyce and Al's phone numbers and can give us a call."
The next selectmen's meeting will be Monday, June 20, at 6 p.m. in the Pembroke Fire Station. The annual town meeting for Pembroke will be held on Monday, July 25, at 7 p.m.