Feds refuse to fund floating offshore wind project in Maine
By
Bonner Cohen, Ph. D.
|
November 4th, 2024
Dealing a stunning financial blow to a controversial renewable energy project off the New England Coast, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Oct. 21 rejected a grant application for $456 million to build offshore wind turbines and install them on floating platforms in the Gulf of Maine.
The decision marks a setback for Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D), a coterie of environmental groups, and – in an odd twist – the Biden-Harris administration, an enthusiastic backer of offshore wind projects. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the awarding of more than $4.2 billion in grants for 44 green-energy projects nationwide. DOT officials did not say why the Maine project was not among the recipients.
Unlike traditional offshore wind installations, in which giant turbines are anchored to the ocean floor, the Maine project is designed to be a port, where turbines are to be assembled at what is essentially a boatyard. The turbines are then transported to and mounted on floating platforms at sea, where they are attached to the ocean floor by means of flexible anchors, chains, or steel cables.
https://www.cfact.org/2024/11/04/feds-refuse-to-fund-floating-offshore-wind-project-in-maine/
