Isle Royale energy donation
Isle Royale National Park has received a $1.8 million donation from the Board of National Parks Concession.
The money will be used to install a photovoltaic system at Rock Harbor.
The system converts sunlight into electricity and it will be the first on the island.
The goal is to have the most sustainable energy production on the island as possible.
Park Superintendent Phyllis Green says, “We haul diesel fuel across our pristine Lake Superior multiple times a year in order to supply electricity to support visitor services out there. All of our communications, our backup emergency systems, and just plain electricity, hot water and showers are supplied by diesel.”
The entire project will cost about $7 million.
Plans call for the photovoltaic system to be installed next summer.
The park hopes to have the systems in place at all three developed sites at Isle Royale by the fall of 2015.