No Fish Story. Tiny Island Lands Big Catch with Microgrid

Cuttyhunk witnessed New England’s whale oil industry give way to kerosene and incandescent light bulbs. Now the tiny island is deep in another energy revolution — reducing diesel use by way of a solar plus storage microgrid.

With a $2.1 million microgrid in operation since the early spring, the fishing mecca offers good argument for pursuing the new energy paradigm. The microgrid is bringing the island price relief and fuel stability.

Sunlight and battery now provide over 50 percent of the island’s electricity. That number will rise to about 80 percent when the last of the season’s tourists (mostly boaters and striped bass fishermen) leave the town for the winter, putting the island on track to reduce its diesel fuel use by 30,000 gallons this year, according to Steven Strong, president of Solar Design Associates, which designed and built the microgrid.

The project offers guideposts for other islands and far-flung communities looking toward the microgrid-era. But as is often the case for pioneers, getting there wasn’t easy for Cuttyhunk.

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