BDN interviews Thaler about wind power possibilities in Maine
Jeff Thaler, associate university counsel for environmental, energy, and sustainability projects for the University of Maine System and a member of the University of Maine team that has developed cutting edge offshore wind power technology, told the Bangor Daily News that as the state and university continue to test and refine offshore wind technology, there’s no reason to believe it can’t power all of Maine’s energy needs with enough left over to share with other states while meeting and exceeding the mandated legislative goals. Thaler has been a key player at the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center, which in 2013 unveiled and successfully tested its first offshore floating wind-energy producing turbine. The turbines, Thaler told the BDN, have an incredible potential to harvest offshore winds not just in Maine, but around the world. Because they don’t need to be anchored directly to the seafloor they can be placed in deep water areas far enough offshore to not impact scenic views.