Wind project's costs may have led to grant loss

The University of Maine’s Aqua Ventus 1 offshore wind project lost its bid for a key $47 million federal grant because federal officials weren’t convinced it would cost less than other projects.

That’s the answer U.S. Sen. Susan Collins received when she asked U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz about why the U.S. Department of Energy chose three other offshore wind projects for full grant funding over Maine, the Portland Press Herald reported.

UMaine has instead received a smaller $3 million grant, and has been designated as an alternate in case any of the winners haven’t started by 2017.

Collins told the newspaper that federal officials took issue on whether UMaine’s design could be built for less than other competing projects — the most specific explanation she received.

While UMaine and its partners remain committed to the Aqua Ventus project, DOE’s funding priorities have raised questions for Collins and others with a stake in the venture.

“I care a great deal about this and I’m really surprised at the decision,” she told the Press Herald. “It’s just difficult to understand why the administration didn’t choose the university as one of the projects.”

Jake Ward, UMaine’s vice president for innovation and economic development, said he is also looking for more answers about how DOE selected its winners, citing the need to know what shortcomings were identified, so they can make improvements in the next year. His team has submitted 7,000 pages of documents as part of the agency’s selection process.

Paul Williamson, director of the Maine Ocean & Wind Industry Initiative, speculated that the Obama administration chose New Jersey to pressure its Republican Gov. Chris Christie, who has distanced himself from renewable energy, into accepting a wind project. He also said Maine lost its best chance for an offshore wind project when Statoil left after facing opposition from Gov. Paul LePage, and when Principle Power left a potential partnership with UMaine.

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