Island Institute's

July 7, 2011 Audio recordings and powerpoints from Gulf of Maine Ocean Wind Exploitation webinar.

NEWS! US Dept of Energy releases draft DeepCwind Environmental Assessment!
Read Draft Assessment . Read Scoping materials. Read Letters and Consultation (PDF files)

AT ISSUE Ocean windpower-induced artificial water column stratification, via forced upwelling, can interfere with velocity and drection of the existing coastal currents transitting offshore windfarm sites. What effect will this have on lobster & crab larvae dispersal by the Eastern Maine Coastal Current ? (EMCC) How serious a problem is upwelling-based artificial stratification likely to be and lobsters and other Gulf of Maine marine life?

MAY 2011 Offshore windies to klatch May 6 at tail end of Maine wind power conference in Orono.

APRIL 2001 Still no dough from DOE Agency again delays issuing environmental assessment of giving DeepCwind its funding to actually build the real test and full size turbines and float a couple offshore. Superior Court still mum on Huber v BPL DeepCwind uses earlier funds to test scaled down prototype tech in Netherlands wind lab. Read more...(UMaine website)

MARCH 2011. DOE again delays issuing environmental assessment of giving DeepCwind the dough. No ruling on Huber v BPL case before Knox County Superior Court

FEBRUARY 2011. US Dept of Energy (DOE) delays issuing environmental assessment of DeepCwind funding plan. ** * 2/23/11 Maine Deepwater Offshore Wind Report released. (Split into chapters for easier reading) --++-- complete report as a 557 page pdf file

* Delayed "3 to 8 weeks" Federal Dept of Energy to issue draft Environmental Assessment of DeepCWind funding deal. The $20 million grant proposed for UMaine's DeepCwind Consortium is in furtherance of the Consortium's research program. Specifically, the plan is a two step process:
(A) One or more prototype 1/3 sized floating windmills (plus undersea test structures), off Monhegan, &
(B) A single full scale operational 5 megawatt deepwater floating windmill , to be towed to an as-yet undefined location, either off Monhegan or "20 to 50 miles" offshore, according to the University.

The agency's assessment must be carried out according the National Environmental Policy Act and the agency's own strict NEPA guidelines. According to the guidelines, the two DOE officials involved: Kurt Rautenstrauch and Laura Margason must:
*"Identify any adverse environmental effects that cannot be avoided should this proposed action be implemented."

* "Evaluate viable alternatives to the proposed action, including a no action alternative."

* "Describe the relationship between local short-term uses of the environment and the maintenance and enhancement of long-term productivity."

* "Characterize any irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources that would be involved should this proposed action be implemented."

Penobscot Bay Watch submitted a variety of documents and data to the DOE to assist in their review.

Details will be posted as soon as the draft EA is released.

NEFMC refuses to get involved on behalf of EFH of managed fish stocks in three ocean task forces at once, so it won't deal with any at all. Says President's Ocean Mgmt Executive order lets NMFS speak for the fishermen and fish concerning ocean windmills, on behalf of the fishermen. (9/20/10 memo, NEFMC executive comm) HUH?!

Offshore windpower - affecting ocean currents?
* On the influence of large wind farms on the upper ocean circulation by Norwegian govt meteorologist Göran Broström.

ONGOING: Litigation against Bureau of Parks and Lands over approving deepwater test site off Monhegan

FOIA RESULTS: Federal emails about offshore Maine windpower 2/10 - 9/10

PAST
December 14, 2010 Audio recording & photos from the Offshore Wind Conference: Tools and Information for Coastal Stakeholders Belfast, Maine

November 16, 2010. 10am - 12:30pm Federal/State Ocean Wind Task Force. The closing of the ocean commons off Maine and its leasing off to the energy industry is under negotiation. Details including audio recordings Click here .... Meeting agenda (1 pg pdf)

October 19, 2010. Northport, Maine First Annual Maine Deepwater Offshore Wind Conference. See photos and listen to speakers at meeting More about the event: click here

PLACES
* Gulf of Maine Fishing Grounds at Risk
* Simulated windfarms off southern New England coast at various distances

LAWS
MAINE Public Law 615. An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Governor's Ocean Energy Task Force (A 29 page compendium of changes to laws administered by MDEP, LURC, DMR and other agencies, which are now being tasked to manage & review applications for offshore wind, wave and tidal energy development.

ISSUES

Recent Freedom of Information Act results about Federal Agencies' windpower plans for waters off Maine. It starts with a December 10, 2009 letter from Maine Governor Baldacci to President Barack Obama
Proposed Maine Ocean Task Force under Federal Charter
September 14,2010 Proposed Charter *** meeting audio recordings ** Transcripts: Q&A session 1 ** Q&A session 2. ** List of attending state and federal officials ** Media coverage. WLBZ TV

Offshore windpower - affecting ocean currents?
* On the influence of large wind farms on the upper ocean circulation Göran Broström, NMI
* Potential climatic impacts & reliability of very large-scale wind farms. 3/12/2010 MIT Ctr for Global Change Science. Read discussion of this report
* Weather response to management of a large wind turbine array 2009 Dept of Atmospheric & Oceanic Science, U MD

OCEAN WIND POWER MEDIA COVERAGE
Google coverage Bangor Daily News Ocean Wind stories. ** Maineville(bdn) coverage of ocean wind ** Working Waterfront Ocean Windpower stories

PUBLIC HEARINGS AND OTHER EVENTS. AUDIO RECORDINGS

September 14, 2010 Federal Bureau of Offshore Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement meets with state and federal agencies in Belfast Maine. New Maine Federal Coordinator Aditi Mirani describes why and how the RFI or Reqeust For Interest process is to go forward.(17 min mp3) .

March 6, 2010 Fishermen's Forum. Agencies and industry describe nearshore and offshore wind plans

March 11, 2010 Legislature's Utility and Energy Committee on LD 1810

Spring 2010. Maine Legislative protects state waters from wind mills, directs applicants minimum 10 miles offshore. Listen to historic hearings from 3/6/10 to 3/24/10

October 28, 2009. Maine Coastal Conference on Wind Energy