Norway-USA: Maine loses offshore wind chance - by Pete Danko

Good idea for Maine torpedoed by short-sighted  governor

Maine’s offshore wind industry ambitions suffered a big blow this week when Statoil said it would abandon its plans to build an offshore, floating turbine project there. The problem: A governor who kept putting up obstacles.

Statoil wanted to build a four-turbine, 12-megawatt project far off the Maine coast. The idea was to demonstrate the viability of deep-sea wind power technology and spur construction of large offshore wind parks off the Northeast U.S. coast, in the process making Maine a center for design, engineering and manufacturing in the sector.

Hywind Maine, as it was known, was among seven offshore wind projects that won $4 million in seed funding from the U.S. Department of Energy late last year.

But the Republican governor of Maine, Paul LePage, thought it was too pricey. In a statement, LePage didn’t sound at all disappointed to hear Statoil was giving up:

"The Administration has been perfectly clear through the regulatory process that the term-sheet offered by Statoil was ironclad in its cost – placing a $200 million burden on Mainers by way of increasing electric costs. Additionally, the corporation was ambiguous in its commitment to growing Maine’s economy. Through bipartisan legislation the Governor and the Legislature worked to ensure that additional competition could be considered prior to embarking on a 20 year plan for Maine’s offshore wind industry and to finalize the best contract for Maine by the end of the year. With electric rates the 12th highest in the country we must continue to attract lower cost electricity that will grow Maine jobs."

Statoil’s plan came in answer to a 2010 Maine PUC request for proposals, set in motion by the state’s 2010 Ocean Energy Act, to build “deep-water offshore wind energy” projects “no less than 10 nautical miles” off the state’s famous coast.

Note EU-Digest: Statoil is an international energy company with operations in 34 countries headquartered in Stavanger, Norway and has approx. 23,000 employees worldwide. They are listed on the New York and Oslo stock exchanges. Statoil bases its reputation on 40 years of experience from oil and gas production on the Norwegian continental shelf . Statoil has a proven corporate policy which is committed to accommodating the world's energy needs in a responsible manner, applying technology and creating innovative business solutions. 

Energy insiders are saying Governor Paul LePage showed once again the typical Republican aversion against alternative sources of energy and the environmental benefits this provides in favor of environmentally dirty fossil type fuels.

As one of the governors opponents said. " he let the goose that could have laid the golden eggs for Maine in the form of new secure  jobs slip away by his short-sighted politicized vision". 

Read more: Maine loses offshore wind chance - Salon.com