How Much Energy Do We Need? Part 2

Written By Amy Turner

  • FIEC’s system demand changes from month to month, peaking during the summer. FIEC’s demand has been increasing about 1% per year since 2010.

  • FIW’s wind farm was sized to meet 100% of FIEC’s demand back in 2010, without fully considering periods with little wind. FIW has provided about 60% of FIEC’s total annual energy needs in recent years.

  • Wind generation peaks in winter; mild summer breezes are an unfortunate reality, since summer is when FIEC has peak demand, creating a gap between FIEC’s energy needs and FIW’s generation.

  • FIEC makes up the difference by buying power from the grid and delivering it through its underwater cable, resulting in line losses.

  • By 2034, FIW’s existing wind turbines is expected to meet less than 50% of FIEC’s energy needs, with an even larger gap in summer. Even if the aging turbines could be maintained to remain in service for another ten years, FIW would not be able to meet FIEC’s demand except for the spring and fall months.

  • There are potential options for replacing or repowering the turbines to increase generation. The FIW board will only consider options that make economic sense to the community. The May 22, 2024, community meeting focused on possible wind repowering; that meeting video is available online at: https://www.foxislandswind.com/videos.

Amy Turner
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How Much Energy Do We Need? Part 1