ENERGY WATCH
For the most part, there has been a slew of good news on the effort to remake Maine into a producer of alternative energy — with the exception of one fledgling wind project that has delayed its turbine operation.
Ocean Renewable Power Co. in Portland says it will launch a demonstration of its tidal turbine generator technology by early next year in Cobscook Bay, and hopes to connect its first full-scale turbine to the power grid by the end of 2010, according to the company.
Meanwhile, officials from a Norwegian company toured a number of facilities in Maine to decide whether it should invest in offshore wind energy here. Representatives from StatoilHydro visited Bath Iron Works, Cianbro Corp., the University of Maine, and other sites to gauge the state’s ability to build and finance a huge offshore wind project, according to the Portland Press Herald. StatoilHydro earlier this year installed in the North Sea the first deep-water wind turbine model, the Hywind, which floats on the surface of the ocean but is tethered by cables to the ocean floor. The company is visiting locations around the world to find one or two spots to install larger turbines in greater numbers, according to the paper.
Also, Maine is getting a stimulus windfall for energy efficiency and conservation projects. The U.S. Department of Energy is awarding Maine cities and counties a total of $9.5 million to launch financial incentive programs to install renewable energy technology in government buildings and invest in energy upgrades and efficiency retrofits. The remaining funds will be doled out as grants for large-scale commercial projects.
And work on the second phase of First Wind’s Stetson wind farm near Danforth in Washington County has begun, adding another 17 turbines to the existing 38-turbine farm, according a press release. At the same time, Record Hill Wind LLC is delaying work on its 22-turbine wind farm in Roxbury by one year because of low energy prices, according to the Sun Journal. The company, co-owned by former Gov. Angus King, had planned to install the turbines next year, but now won’t go online until 2011.
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