Mainebiz

V O L . X X V N O. I X A P R I L 2 9 , 2 0 1 9 48 T he energy mix of Maine's power supply has undergone a substan- tial shift since 1994, when 33% of the state's net electricity generation came from the Maine Yankee nuclear power station in Wiscasset and another 20% from petroleum-fueled generation. Maine Yankee's prominence began to change as the aging nuclear plant, in service since 1972, became increas- ingly more difficult and expensive to run. In response to allegations of safety problems at the plant, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission started a lengthy investigation in 1995. NRC identified so many problems, Maine Yankee's owners determined it would be too costly to fix them and decided to permanently shut the plant down in August 1997. e eight-year $500 million decommissioning process was completed in 2005. Maine's energy profile underwent a sea-change in the new millennium, spurred by several major drivers: Slow-but-steady advances in renewable energy sources and mar- ket incentives such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (2007) encouraging greater use of clean (i.e. non-fossil-fuel) energy; e 2000 deregulation of the two major electric utilities, Central Maine Power and Bangor Hydro, forcing them to sell their power- generation assets; e 2008 Wind Energy Act, which set ambitious goals of installing 2,000 megawatts of wind capacity in the state by 2015, 3,000 megawatts by 2020 (with at least 300 megawatts coming from offshore turbines) and 8,000 megawatts by 2030 (with at least 5,000 megawatts offshore). Although those wind energy goals haven't been met — Maine had roughly 925 megawatts and 19 operating wind farms by 2018 — wind turbines produce PR ES ENTI NG S PONS OR Join us at our fourth stop in the 2019 On the Road with Mainebiz event series in Millinocket! We will host our reception at Hillcrest Golf Club as we showcase and network with the greater Millinocket business community! Enjoy hors-d'oeuvres and a cash bar while networking with business executives in the area. Be sure to bring business cards to hand out to new connections that you make. Celebrate 25 Years with Mainebiz on June 13 AT T E N DA N C E I S F R E E B U T S PAC E I S L I M I T E D! Please be sure to register ahead at www.mainebiz.biz/OTRMillinocket FOLLOW US @MBEVENTS #OTRMillinocket19 June 13 | 5:00 – 7:00pm | Hillcrest Golf Club, Millinocket MILLINOCKET Interested in sponsorships? Please contact publisher Donna Brassard at 207.261.8379 x327 An aerial view of Maine Yankee, the Wiscasset nuclear plant decommissioned in 2005. 25 P OW E R G R I D Energetic change Renewable energy in Maine moves into the mainstream B y J a m e s M c C a r t h y For the November 1996 issue, Mainebiz asked readers for their input on when to close Maine Yankee, the Wiscasset nuclear plant. Readers' views were divided, and the eventual decommissioning was in 2005. F I L E P H O T O / N U C L E A R R E G U L AT O R Y C O M M I S S I O N

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