Jan 13 - Portland Press Herald


Developing wind energy - notably large-scale, floating wind farms far off the coast - represents one of Maine's best opportunities for a prosperous economic future, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said here Tuesday.

"Our state needs a game changer," Collins said. "We cannot re- create our past."

Maine's location near major population centers and its natural asset of some of the country's most-constant winds can make wind energy a game changer, the Maine Republican said. That, in turn, could create thousands of jobs and reduce the state's dependence on imported oil, she said.

But it will take sustained support from the federal government, and a collaboration among state, business and university researchers, she said, to approach the level of activity under way in Europe. Ocean-based wind is poised to become both a major energy source and employer there, with billions of dollars being invested.

 "I think the potential for wind to change Maine's future is outstanding," she said, adding that no other single industry seems to hold as much promise.

Collins made her comments during an interview with the Press Herald after her keynote address at the start of a three-day seminar for Maine companies looking to find work in the region's nascent wind power industry.

The event was aimed specifically at firms with expertise in composites. Wind turbine blades, as well as other components, are made from composite materials that are lighter than steel and don't rust.

Collins' remarks came four days after the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at the University of Maine, a co-sponsor of the seminar, won a $12.4 million federal grant to build the Advanced Nanocomposites in Renewable Energy Laboratory in Orono.

The lab, to open by next spring, would design, make and test wood composite components for offshore wind projects. Collins supported the funding request and has helped steer a total of $25 million for offshore wind research to Maine since October.

Maine is trying to position itself as an American leader in offshore wind energy research and development. State government recently designated three coastal test sites for deepwater demonstration projects.

News last week of plans to build one of the world's largest ocean wind farms hinted at the scale of what could evolve here.

Spanish energy giant Iberdrola Renovables SA will participate in a joint venture near the English coast to generate 7,200 megawatts of power, enough energy to serve 5 million homes. Iberdrola, the parent company of Central Maine Power Co., is a leading onshore wind developer in Europe and the United States.

The Iberdrola project will feature between 1,000 and 2,000 turbines, with construction starting in 2015. It will cover one of nine ocean sites being opened for wind energy off the United Kingdom. The size, and the engineering and financial obstacles, have led experts to compare it to the challenges of developing the North Sea's oil and gas resources in the 1970s.

The nine sites have the potential to generate a quarter of the power used in the United Kingdom by 2020, according to Habib Dagher, director of Maine's advanced composites center. The work is expected to create 70,000 jobs and $120 billion in spending.

"Is that a bold plan, or isn't it?" Dagher asked participants during a presentation that followed Collins' address. "Why can't we do the same thing?"

The university is trying to take the first steps in that direction, through a partnership of 35 companies and agencies known as the DeepCwind Deepwater Offshore Wind Consortium.

To avoid public opposition and to harness the best winds, Maine has chosen not to follow the European lead and pursue near-shore sites.

Instead, it wants to adapt technology used by the oil industry to create giant, floating turbines at least 10 miles off the Maine coast.

Tests of the first, small units at a deepwater demonstration site off Monhegan Island are planned for 2011. A commercial-scale project could cost $200 million, however, which is why Collins said the federal government needs to offer a sustained commitment.

She introduced a bill in November that would create an ongoing program in the Department of Energy to support research and development of offshore wind technologies at existing university centers, and encourage the creation of other facilities. The proposed legislation would authorize $50 million a year for 10 years.

"Maine has the opportunity to lead the way in building a new, green economy, with thriving industries and the jobs of the future right here in Maine," she said in her address.

The seminar, which is being held at the Clarion Hotel, continues today with presentations on turbine blade manufacturing requirements and standards, automation and opportunities for Maine manufacturers.

Thursday's session includes a talk by Maine native Paul Rich, chief development officer at Deepwater Wind LLC, which is trying to build an eight-turbine demonstration project three miles off Block Island, R.I.

Staff Writer Tux Turkel can be contacted at 791-6462 or at:

tturkel@pressherald.com

Originally published by By TUX TURKEL Staff Writer.

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