University of Maine Announces Offshore Wind Track at the Maine Wind Energy Conference January 25

The University of Maine announces an exciting addition to the Maine Wind Working Group’s Maine Wind Energy Conference. Learn more about Maine’s opportunity to lead the nation in deepwater offshore wind at the Offshore Wind Track at the Augusta Civic Center on January 25. Speaker topics include the economics of offshore wind, critical path permitting issues, the results of a statewide public opinion survey, and other issues essential to the development of the industry.

The Maine Wind Energy Conference will be held January 24 (8 a.m. to 9 p.m.) and 25 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Maine. Expanded to two days, this year’s conference features nearly 50 speakers in five tracks over two days. January 25 features the all-day Offshore Wind Track with presentations by:

* Jake Ward, Department of Industrial Cooperation

* Dr. Gary Hunt, School of Economics

* Dr. Mario Teisl, School of Policy and International Affairs

* Caroline Noblet, School of Economics

* Dr. Peter Jumars, School of Marine Sciences

* Dr. Rebecca Holberton, School of Biology and Ecology

* Paul Williamson, Maine Wind Industry Initiative

* Bill Follett, Cianbro

* John Henshaw, Maine Port Authority

* Dr. Heather Deese, Island Institute

* Michael Murphy, HDR/DTA

* Peter Browne, HDR/DTA

* Andrew Qua, Kleinschmidt Associates

* Matthew Nixon, Maine State Planning Office

Advanced Structures and Composites Center’s Director Habib J. Dagher, Ph.D, P.E. will present an overview of the Maine Public Utilities Commission’s RFP for Long-term Contracts for Deepwater Offshore Wind Energy Pilot Projects, and the UMaine-led DeepCwind Consortium’s involvement in deepwater offshore wind energy technology development.

With 149 gigawatts of wind power in its gulf, offshore wind development is one of Maine’s strongest opportunities to boost its economy and create thousands of jobs. Through the leadership of the University of Maine, Advanced Structures and Composites Center, and DeepCwind Consortium, Maine is poised to become the world leader in deepwater offshore wind. The University of Maine has raised over $40 million to support this effort. Funded initiatives include the construction of the Offshore Wind Laboratory expansion to Advanced Structures and Composites Center, allowing wind structure testing up to 70 meters; testing of a 1/3 scale floating wind turbine at the UMaine Deepwater Offshore Wind Test Site off Monhegan Island in July 2012; and new academic programs for renewable energy and the environment at UMaine. These investments will fuel the innovation required to develop robust and economical floating wind turbine technology to allow Maine to capture this immense resource.

By Lyndsy Shuman (deepcwind)

[mappress]

Source: deepcwind, January 25, 2011