Water Street, the main avenue through Eastport, Maine. Photo credit: Wikipedia
Back in May, I had the opportunity to visit Eastport, Maine, for a story I’m writing about tidal power. Eastport sits at the mouth of Cobscook Bay, which has some of the strongest, swiftest tides in North America. A company called Ocean Power Renewable Corp. (ORPC) is in the process of attaching several electricity-generating turbines to the bay floor. By September, the project is expected to deliver tidal power to the electrical grid — a first in North America.
The visit was both inspiring and depressing. Inspiring because ORPC is, after years of toil, about to inaugurate an entirely new source of power for our cities; depressing because the town of Eastport is quiet — too quiet. It lost 19 percent of its population between 2000 and 2010, home values are dropping, and Water Street, the main drag through town, was nearly deserted during my visit. Not a good sign during the Memorial Day weekend.
I wrote a post about Eastport’s predicament, and the solutions that tidal power may offer, for Forbes today. [Postscript: This has become a heavily commented-upon post, mostly by citizens of Eastport debating whether my take on their hometown was correct, or too negative.]
Read the entire post here.
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