I am all for clean energy. Maine’s water resource is abundant, so hydro makes sense combined with hydro’s capacity to produce large amounts of energy.

Solar works efficiently in the Southwest, but remember: Maine’s other claim to fame is that it belongs to the transitional forest of the boreal forest biome. These forests need protecting. So, when an associate of BlueWave says, “It was a no-brainer” to install solar for MaineHealth, I pause. Really? I’m curious: How many acres of land will be cleared to install these projects?

Make no mistake about it: Land is being cleared to install solar fields in southern Maine, yet no one is counting up the sum total of forested acres destroyed for these 5-megawatt solar farms. What does independent analysis tell us about the cumulative clearing of Maine forest for solar power? How does this compare to the land needed for the Hydro-Québec corridor?

Each solar project requires about 5 acres per megawatt of area. Some of this is field, some forest. The proposed hydro corridor requires less than 1,000 acres cleared, or less than 1 acre per megawatt.

Hydropower proves more efficient. It runs 24/7, whereas solar runs on sunny days. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA.gov), the solar capacity factor is about 25 percent annually, whereas the hydroelectric capacity factor is about 40 percent. That means that hydro, on average, is running almost 60 percent more than solar, making it more productive. Which is best for the planet?

Meredith Cough

Portland

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