UMaine offshore wind efforts cited in Mainebiz article on Omnibus Bill
Mainebiz reported Congress on Friday passed a $1.8 trillion package of spending measures and tax legislation that was then signed into law by President Obama. The bill includes a five-year extension of the New Markets Tax Credit program, which encourages investment in low-income areas, according to the article. In a press release, Sen. Susan Collins, senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, highlighted some of the provisions that will benefit Maine, the article states. One of those provisions was increased funding for offshore wind power, bringing the total to the Department of Energy’s wind program to $95.5 million. Collins said in the release that she successfully advocated to include language directing $7.4 million for “alternate projects designs, which directly benefits the University of Maine’s innovative deep water offshore wind project.”