Shelter Island awarded federal energy program
Shelter Island has been awarded a federal grant for a program that targets remote American communities and islands.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, and announced Tuesday, the program is called the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP), and aids those communities to re-direct the way they produce and use energy, and make those processes more nimble and sustainable.
According to the ETIPP, “Island and remote communities have unique physical features that fundamentally shape what energy options they have available. For many of these communities, access to resilient, affordable, sustainable, and clean energy resources is a priority. ETIPP helps communities to assess and advance the solutions that best meet their needs.”
The Department of Energy has stated that “communities singled out for the ETIPP can expect to receive substantial in-kind support from the partnering national labs in the form of energy analysis and planning and, where appropriate, support for leading-edge technology solutions. ETIPP regional partners also provide general program guidance and education.”
The ETIPP will provide an overview of the Island’s power challenges and current resources, followed by analysis and planning. The ETIPP can recommend projects, it says, “that respond to the community’s own energy priorities, goals, challenges, and opportunities, and advance the community’s ability to implement strategic, whole-systems solutions.”
The impetus to apply for the federal program came from the town’s Green Options Advisory Committee, chaired by Tim Purtell. Mr. Purtell went before the Town Board in May and urged the members to vote to apply for the program, noting that Shelter Island, like other American islands, has “tidal power” as a potential source of energy.
He noted that a small island off the coast of Maine has started projects involving solar power and battery storage systems, partnering with stakeholders in the community, such as the school and municipal infrastructure.
The same could be done here, Mr. Purtell said.
Congressman Nick LaLota (R) said the Department of Energy program “will aid Shelter Island to build an energy system that is sustainable, resilient, and reliable year-round. I’m thrilled to see this important project and new jobs coming to Shelter Island and the East End. These projects will create hundreds of good-paying jobs and boost the local economy.”
The Reporter will have more on this site and in next week’s paper.
