AUGUSTA — The University of Maine and its partner companies have released their proposal to obtain a state contract for an offshore wind power project off Maine’s coast.
A redacted version released Wednesday provides some insight into the plan for two floating wind turbines generating south of Monhegan Island and 12 miles from the mainland.
The 12-megawatt project would supply some power directly to Monhegan Island, which currently relies on diesel generators and has some of the highest electric rates in the country. Down the road, UMaine and its partners envision a wind farm producing up to 500 megawatts of power in federal waters.
UMaine’s proposal is the sole wind project being considered for the contract after Norwegian company Statoil abandoned its project last month.
- The country’s first floating wind turbine works off the coast of Castine. With Norwegian company Statoil’s decision to pull its $120 million dollar project from consideration in Maine in late October 2013, the future of offshore wind production in the state now lies primarily in the hands of the University of Maine.
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