Visitors from small islands off the coast of Maine traveled to Samsø, a larger island off the coast of Denmark, to learn how to emulate its transformation into a model of renewable energy.
Samsø, a 44-square-mile island off the Danish coast of 4,100 inhabitants largely devoted to agriculture, has won international acclaim since 1997 when it won "a government-sponsored contest to create a model community for renewable energy," writes New York Times business reporter, Diane Cardwell. Eight years later, "the island reached green energy independence."
Inspiring the visitors from Maine, including those from the one-square mile island of Monhegan, population 65 that "swells to hundreds of residents and thousands of tourists in the summer," may have been more economic as opposed to environmental goals, in particular its "dependence on expensive, dirty fuels for heating and electricity."
Even with the recent fall in oil prices, Monhegan residents pay among the highest power rates in the nation — almost six times the national average — and the electric company, locally owned and operated, struggles to keep the lights on.
Unlike the much larger island of Samsø, the Maine islands are not connected to the mainland via power cables, though now the cable from Samsø works both ways as it sells its excess renewable power. The Maine islands must be truly self-sufficient for electricity and heating.
The Maine visitors, including students from the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, were attending the Samsø Energy Academy. "If all went well, each islander would go home with a team of students dedicated to solving an energy problem using ideas borrowed from Samsø," writes Cardwell.
According to the Rocky Mountain Institute (via Clean Technica), Samsø is 100 percent wind-powered from "eleven onshore wind turbines (that) provide 11 megawatts of power [PDF]." Heat is supplied from geothermal, biomass, and solar power sources.
And 10 offshore wind turbines produce 23 megawatts, enough to compensate for the carbon dioxide emissions generated by the island’s transport sector. This was all accomplished within eight years, two years ahead of schedule.
"There are not yet any full-scale offshore wind farms in the United States — projects like Cape Wind near Nantucket have been delayed by legal and financial challenges — so the Mainers were eager for a rare chance to see one up close," writes Cardwell.
FULL STORY: Green-Energy Inspiration Off the Coast of Denmark

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont