The key component to economic growth

By U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud
(D-Maine)
    Through the good work being done at the University of Maine, our state is at the forefront of developing advanced composite technology. In order for our state to benefit economically and further job creation, it’s important to promote this homegrown success and make sure that its benefits are known far and wide.
    That’s why I helped establish the Congressional Composites Caucus last year as a way to spread awareness of composite technology and to provide briefings to members of Congress and their staff. As Congress continues to explore ways to promote the development of clean energy, it’s now more important than ever before that policymakers have access to information on a wide variety of technologies and their applications.
    I was pleased that Dr. Robert Lindyberg of the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center recently came to Capitol Hill to participate in a briefing I invited him to on composites and their use in wind energy. The briefing provided an overview of the use of composites in wind energy applications, where composites are manufactured, the impact this market has on employment and training, and new technology that will serve this market.
    Composites are materials made up of two or more substances with varying physical characteristics where the substances maintain their own identity while creating a new product. Some common composite products that are seen every day include newer-model aircraft, cars, boats, RVs, skis, and golf clubs, as well as a growing number of aerospace and military products used in theatre in Afghanistan and Iraq. In fact, the university has created products to build bridges more efficiently and protect our men and women serving overseas. Now they are working on using composite technology to advance deepwater offshore wind energy development in Maine.
    I have worked with Maine’s congressional delegation to secure federal investments for their work. We have been united in this effort because the research and development that the university is doing on this technology will create jobs and help our state move forward on the development of clean sources of energy. And significant progress is being made.
    In October 2009, the Department of Energy announced an $8 million grant to develop a deepwater offshore wind test center in Maine. The grant, which was made possible through the Recovery Act, was awarded to a public-private partnership led by the university. According to Habib Dagher, the director of the university’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center, they are currently designing prototypes for floating wind turbines that will be built and tested this year. Next year, they plan to manufacture a 1/3 scale 100 kilowatt floating wind turbine in Maine to be placed at a test site for evaluation. The ultimate goal is to build 5 gigawatts of offshore floating wind farms by 2030.
    There is a lot riding on the overall project’s success for our economy – estimates by the university and the U.S. Department of Energy indicate that this project could attract up to $20 billion of private investment to Maine and create thousands of jobs if the supply chain in the state is maximized. That’s why it is so important to make sure that officials in Washington keep apprised of the good work being done in Maine. It’s crucial that we not only keep up the dialogue, but also make sure future investments and policies complement our state’s goals.