Offshore wind farm proposed for Midcoast | News

BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - A company from the Norway wants to build the country's first floating ocean wind farm in the Gulf of Maine. Stat Oil of Norway will be in Maine next week for a series of three public meetings to talk about the proposal.

Stat Oil has already built the world's first floating offshore wind turbine, which is now operating off the Norwegian coast. The company hopes to deploy four more of of the huge floating turbines about twelve miles outside of Boothbay Harbor, sometime in 2016. The company says it has been collaborating with the University of Maine, and is targeting an area of ocean identified by the state several years ago for ocean wind research.

The project manager for Hywind Maine says they believe the Gulf of Maine has a good wind resource, making it a good location for their turbines. They also believe floating platforms, which can be deployed farther offshore, will be able to take better advantage of the wind than those closer shore. But some fishermen in the Boothbay Harbor area say they're worried about the plans. They say the proposed site is important fishing ground, and fear the turbines will take away precious fishing territory.

Stat Oil says it wants to meet with those fishermen and others, begin a dialogue and try to resolve their concerns. Thew company also told News Center it hopes to have Maine companies build as much of the project as possible.

Next week there will be three meetings for Stat Oil to talk about the project and answer questions. The company says the meetings will be conducted in an "open house" format, where people will be able to speak directly to company representatives.

June 25, 2012:
Boothbay - Boothbay Firehouse (4 - 7pm)
911 Wiscasset Road, Boothbay, Maine

June 26, 2012:
Rockland - Rockland Public Library (5:30-8pm)
80 Union Street, Rockland, Maine

June 27, 2012:
Portland - Gulf of Maine Research Institute (4 - 7pm)
350 Commercial Street, Portland, Maine