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Stimulus Grant Bolsters Wind Power Project
on October 16, 2009
University of Maine reseachers have been awarded $8 million in federal stimulus funds -- they can now move forward on a 10-year plan to create a floating deep-water wind farm, MaineBusiness.com reports.
The UMaine-led "DeepCwind" consortium has plans to design and develop two 10-kilowatt and one 100-kilowatt deep-water wind turbine prototypes. Maine officials want to see if the same floating wind-harnessing technology that was deployed off the coast of Norway will work in the Gulf of Maine.
Similar to Norway, Maine's offshore geography gets really deep fast, so instead of the more typical turbines on towers, its offshore wind turbines must float. Ultimately, Maine wants to build a five-gigawatt, $20 billion network of floating wind farms to provide renewable energy to the East Coast.
"Maine continues to lead, and it is a testament to the University of Maine that the secretary of energy has identified it as a cornerstone for America's clean energy revolution," said Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.
The grant, which will fund two years of work at UMaine, could help support up to 430 temporary jobs. Overall, the wind energy sector in Maine has the potential to provide jobs for 16,700 people, Snowe said. Energy Secretary Steven said wind power could also provide 20 percent of the nation's electricity.
"We need to position the United States as the clear leader in this industry, or watch these high-paying jobs go overseas," Chu said. "The investment we're making today will help ensure that America has both the talent and the technology we need to compete."
For the complete story, visit mainebusiness.mainetoday.com.
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