Norwegian offshore wind leader eyes Maine
Officials from a Norwegian company leading the way in offshore wind development earlier this week toured a number of facilities in Maine to determine whether the state could be its next wind power site.
Representatives from StatoilHydro Monday and Tuesday visited Bath Iron Works, Cianbro Corp. in Brewer, the University of Maine in Orono, the Brunswick Naval Air Station and other spots to gauge the state's ability to build and finance an 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 touring locations around the world to find a spot to install larger turbines in greater numbers, and could pick one or two locations for the project, according to the paper. This week's visit to Maine was to see if StatoilHydro should start a feasibility study on whether the project would work in Maine. The $20 billion project could create up to 15,000 jobs in Maine over the next 10 to 20 years, according to the Bangor Daily News.
The visit follows a September wind power-focused trade mission to Spain, Germany and Norway, where Gov. John Baldacci and Habib Dagher, director of the University of Maine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center, signed an agreement with StatoilHydro to collaborate on offshore wind power research and development. Last month, the University of Maine was one of three universities nationwide to receive up to $8 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for an offshore wind test center.
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Go to the article from the Bangor Daily News >>
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