UMaine-led offshore wind project focus of Press Herald editorial
The Portland Press Herald published an editorial on a University of Maine-led offshore wind power pilot project. Last month, the New England Aqua Ventus project was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to participate in the Offshore Wind Advanced Technology Demonstration program, making it one of three projects that are each eligible for up to $39.9 million in additional funding over three years. Last week, the consortium announced a new partner, a French defense company known as DCNS Group, that will join the university’s partners, Cianbro Corp. and Emera Inc., according to the editorial. The project aims to develop a pair of experimental offshore wind turbines that would be anchored off Monhegan Island and feed electricity onto the grid. “The two-turbine demonstration project could be the proving ground of a much larger, multi-platform commercial generator, which could dramatically decrease the cost of wind power and change Maine’s role in the energy pipeline,” the editorial states. “We should be moving toward a clean energy future, so it’s a relief to see some steps in the right direction.”