During testimony before the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee today, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar told Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Committee, that deepwater, offshore wind technology is a "very high priority" for the Department of the Interior (DOI). In response to questions posed by Senator Collins, Deputy Secretary David Hayes specifically indicated that the DOI is committed to helping to locate federal funding for the development of a deepwater wind turbine prototype off the coast of Maine. Senator Collins has championed the federal effort to advance the Maine Deepwater Offshore Wind Initiative at the University of Maine which is working to deploy the first deepwater floating wind turbine prototype off the U.S. Atlantic coast.
Deputy Secretary Hayes said, "Senator, we share your enthusiasm for deepwater technology and think that the state of Maine is the place to test drive this new technology. It fits in…with our Atlantic strategy and Maine is the place with the deep water and the strong winds. And we are partnering, as you know, with the Department of Energy to pilot projects, and with the efforts of the University of Maine and others. We are looking forward to continuing to work with the task force that has been set up in Maine…to identify the best areas to pilot test the technology and we look forward to working with you to have Maine leading the world in terms of deepwater wind technology."
Senator Collins also questioned Interior officials regarding the permitting and rulemaking processes for deepwater technologies and whether the Department would help sponsor a prototype in order to help evaluate the design and environmental impacts and thus expedite review of proposed offshore wind projects. Deputy Secretary Hayes responded, "We are very interested in doing that. We are partnering with the Department of Energy to find some dollars, and they've already committed $1 million toward that effort. So we will do our part, which is the permitting part, to help make that happen."
In June 2010, at Senator Collins' invitation, Energy Secretary Steven Chu visited UMaine. Following the visit, the Department of Energy announced that it would dedicate $20 million to develop and test deepwater offshore wind technologies-the first time ever that the Department has dedicated specific funding for deepwater offshore wind energy research and development. Given its significant work and advancements in research in this area, the University of Maine is well positioned to receive this funding, and as a member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is working to ensure that the lion's share of these funds go to UMaine. In addition, Senator Collins has successfully secured a total of $25 million for Maine's Deepwater Offshore Wind Initiative.