Maine Offshore Wind Development Takes Spotlight at Offshore WINDPOWER Conference

Oct. 3, 2011 - PRLog -- Portland, ME – On Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 2 pm Maine’s offshore wind development will be in the spotlight at the AWEA Offshore WINDPOWER Conference, taking place at the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland. Paul Williamson, Director and Industry Coordinator, Maine Wind Industry Initiative will moderate this high-profile presentation.

Titled Maine Offshore Update: Current activities to develop offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine, this one-hour educational session will feature an esteemed panel of wind industry professionals who will share the latest information. The panel includes:

   Maine Public Utilities Commission (representative TBD) and update report on the process and review of responses to the issued RFP for a 25 MW deep water wind pilot project

   Dr. Habib Dagher, Director of the AEWC, Advanced Structures and Composites Center, U-Maine, and program director for the DeepCWind consortium: Update on the DeepCWind Activities

   Parker Hadlock, Cianbro Corporation, lead fabrication contractor for DeepCWind 1/3 scale pilot project: update on the construction phase for tension leg platform prototype.

   Patrick Graham; Sewall Company: the development of the AWEGIS 300 plus layer GIS data system for the Gulf of Maine

   George Kendrick (to be confirmed); Stantec, developing advanced techniques for understanding bird and bat behaviors in the Gulf of Maine

A recorded statement from Kenneth Fletcher is the Director of the Office of Energy Independence and Security affirming support for the development of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine will also be played.

The Maine Wind Industry Initiative has also organized a Maine wind business pavilion, in booth 331, to promote the expertise, capabilities and products of the following companies: University of Maine Advanced Structures & Composites Center, Bath Iron Works, CIANBRO, Lyman Morse, Maine Port Authority, Maine Composite Alliance, Sewall, Sprague, and Senergy Alternative Energy.

The AWEA Offshore WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition taking place from October 11-13 includes new technology, wind products, developers, suppliers, and wind turbine manufacturers. Over 120 exhibitors, from all over the United States, Canada, Europe, and beyond, and close to 1,700 attendees are expected to attend this 3-day event.

To learn more about MWII visit http://www.mainewindindustry.com

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MWII is structured as an industry, government and academic partnership. In addition to bringing the wind energy industry stakeholders and interests together, MWII is identifying common needs, pursuing market opportunities, documenting the wind industry's requirements, and assisting the State of Maine in leveraging the considerable natural resources of the state for the benefit of the State.