BIDDEFORD, Maine — National and state officials got a first-hand look at innovative clean energy technology Thursday as they toured Saco Bay Marine at Rumery's Boat Yard in Biddeford.
It was awarded a nearly $28,000 grant from the USDA's Rural Energy Program after its work to transition the business to renewable energy as well as its developments in other innovative technologies. It recently installed a solar array on its roof that is estimated to generate more than 90% of its electricity, after receiving federal grant money last year.
Maine's Independent Senator Angus King joined USDA Rural Development Maine State Director Rhiannon Hampson for a roundtable discussion with other stakeholders and a tour of the boatyard.
“By transitioning to renewable energy, businesses like Saco Bay Marine can help slow the pace of climate change, which has had an outsized impact on the working waterfront,” Hampson said in a press release. “We can look to our past for the inspiration needed to get this job done. Maine can help lead the maritime industry in adopting ‘blue technology.’"
King congratulated the Tarpeys (boatyard owners) for securing another federal grant and said their innovation is a step in the right direction and this is a promising start to a potential new industry in the state. The Senator also mentioned how important investment into climate resiliency is, especially after last month's storms devastated the coast.
A topic of conversation during that roundtable discussion was centered around the possibility of replacing diesel boat motors with electric ones.
Sean Tarpey owns the boatyard which is also home to companies Maine Electric Boat and Marine Solar Technologies. His son Matthew Tarpey is the CEO of both businesses and said that six years ago the focus for electric boat motor development was originally targeted for the recreational market.
However, Matthew Tarpey said he realized how much more the commercial boating sector contributes to environmental degradation so the company began exploring ways to integrate its technology with those vessels. One boat using the electric motor has been in the water in Islesboro for the last few months thanks to a partnership with Flux Maine and the Island Institute.
Besides the environmental benefits, Matthew Tarpey said these new motors can help fishermen or boaters save costs on repairs, the motors are more reliable than their diesel fuel counterparts, and they don't require oil changes or winterization efforts.
“The tech is really sound but we have a lot of things to do on the infrastructure side of things as well as strengthening our workforce to be able to work on such motors for the servicing that they will need," he said Thursday.
The technology is still in the early stages of development, Matthew Tarpey noted, and the company still faces challenges like energy storage and charging infrastructure. His primary goal right now is to get the electric motors on commercial lobster boats.
Marine Solar Technologies develops solar-powered buoys that are used to test water quality in real-time.
“We view this as a solution to identifying where these pollutants are coming from so we can make data-driven decisions on our on-land practices," Matthew Tarpey concluded.