Posted on October 7, 2024
Maine Gov. Janet Mills and other state officials will travel to Norway and Denmark this week to speak with government and energy leaders about the offshore wind industry.
Over the six-day trip, the group plans to “promote and position Maine as a world leader in the responsible development and deployment of offshore wind,” the governor’s office said in a statement.
The delegation will travel to Norway on Sunday to view floating wind turbines in the cities of Bergen and Haugesund and to meet with government and energy officials in those cities.
Later in the week, they will travel to Denmark to meet with leaders, including the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities, and participate in a roundtable discussion with members of the Danish Confederation of Industry. They will also tour an offshore wind port and a wind test center in Esjerg, Denmark, to learn how the city has “supported the responsible growth of offshore wind while supporting its significant fishing industry.”
Mills has touted the state of Maine as a potential leader in offshore wind power. The idea has faced opposition from Maine’s lobstering industry, which argues that offshore wind development could disrupt fishing grounds.
“Maine is well-positioned to unlock the power of offshore wind to generate clean and affordable homegrown energy, reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, protect our environment, advance our climate goals, and create good-paying jobs in a global industry expected to grow in the coming decades,” Mills said in a statement. “I look forward to learning from Norwegian and Danish leaders about their experiences building a successful offshore wind industry while balancing crucial maritime interests and industries and to promoting Maine, our substantial advantages, and our hardworking people.”
In February, the state selected Sears Island in Penobscot Bay as the preferred site to construct a hub for Maine’s floating offshore wind power industry.
Maine also received federal approval in August to install up to 12 floating turbines in the Gulf of Maine as a part of a research lease. The project “will inform how floating offshore wind operates and can co-exist with ocean users and ecosystems in the Gulf of Maine,” the governor’s office said.
