May 15, 2012
Maine

Norwegians: Maine offshore wind project delayed over lack of state support, tax credit uncertainty

Sun Journal Staff, www.sunjournal.com 15 May 2012

A demonstration project of a floating wind power turbine that was to be built in the Gulf of Maine by the Norwegian energy giant Statoil is facing construction delays due to uncertainty over the amount of state support for the project and over federal energy production tax credits.

According to a report in the Norwegian newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad, “Statoil currently lacks the necessary state support to begin construction on a proposed deepwater test project off the coast of Maine.”

The report says Statoil officials recently met with Maine’s Public Utilities Commission and determined that support for the project at the state level was insufficient to begin construction.

According to the Stavanger Aftenblad report, Statoil will make a decision in 2014 whether to proceed with construction “should the framework conditions be in place.”

According to the report, the proposed project would consist of four three-megawatt floating turbines located roughly 12 nautical miles south of Boothbay Harbor.

The turbine was to be the first of four in a demonstration project that was expected to be operational by 2016.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/05/15/norwegians-maine-offshore-wind-project-delayed-over-lack-of-state-support-tax-credit-uncertainty/