Nixed Maine wind project a lost opportunity, energy groups say
A Norwegian company that cancelled plans for a major offshore wind project in Maine has announced plans to invest $2.5 billion in an overseas project.
The Portland Press Herald reported that Statoil, a large oil and power company, announced its plans to invest $2.5 billion in a wind project off the shores of the United Kingdom. The company has also invested in a project in Scotland, which it previously said it was exploring because the country provided greater certainty with energy policies.
Statoil pulled its plans for a $120 million pilot offshore wind project in Maine last October after the state Legislature approved legislation proposed by Gov. Paul LePage that reopened the state’s bidding process, allowing a University of Maine wind project to compete. The UMaine project later lost its bid for a $46.7 million federal grant, instead receiving $3 million. The project’s leader told Mainebiz in May that UMaine remains committed to the project.
Energy groups in Maine called it a lost opportunity, but also a reminder of Maine’s abundant wind resource.
Jeremy Payne, director of the Maine Renewable Energy Association, told the Press Herald that Statoil’s recent announcement is a reminder that its decision to leave Maine because of political maneuvering was a lost opportunity for the state. Paul Williamson, executive director of the Maine Industry Wind Initiative, told the newspaper that Maine needs to reconsider its strategy to attract new investment to the state’s “abundant resource.”
Patrick Woodcock, director of the governor’s energy office, told the Press Herald that Statoil’s investment and its previous investment plans in Maine “are two different things,” adding that its U.K. project is using existing technology “that could not be used here.”
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the amount Statoil is investing. It also incorrectly stated the location of the project. Both were reporting errors.
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