Maine Needs to Come Together to Support the Potential Benefits of Wind Energy

 The opportunities for Maine have never been better than they are right now for economic development and job creation. This may come as a hard to accept statement in view of the recent economic woes. However, Maine has the opportunity to become an leader in the need for National energy solutions.

Maine has a number of alternative and clean energy resources that can be harnessed and provided the state's citizens, and also the Nation with clean energy. As oil prices climb energy needs will become more acute for our state and our country. This marks an opportunity for the state to become generator of clean energy. Wind energy is the states most abundant renewable resource. 

Developing Maine's wind resources will result in good jobs for Maine workers. How many jobs? That simply depends on how well Maine develops the construction, service and manufacturing capabilities. The more these sectors are developed in Maine the more jobs will be created here. A fully developed industry supply chain developing 5000-8000 MW of wind energy in Maine would result in approximately 15000 jobs over the next 20 years...but there are some key factors to get there.

The key to the greatest job creation opportunities lies in manufacturing. Manufacturing turbines accounts for 59% of wind related jobs. 

The key to building manufacturing is tied to the development of the demand. If Maine sets aggressive goals for onshore and offshore wind development, Maine will become attractive to job generating businesses. However, if projects are held up unnecessarily then the climate for investment activities that will lead to job creation will be threatened.

Maine citizens need to ask themselves some important questions:

In the need to develop new energy sources, would Mainers prefer to develop and use energy from oil, coal, gas, nuclear or wind? 

Should we allow the aesthetic concerns by a small minority of people override the environmental, economic, energy security benefits that wind energy will bring to the state?

Maine has a heritage of exporting shoes, lumber and boats, why can't Maine export electrons, equipment and technology?

Maine has the opportunity to become a national leader in providing clean local energy, and exporting clean electrons, services, and equipment throughout the eastern US and Canada. If we unify as a state in this effort we can harness the potential to create a new economic and environmentally healthy Maine for the future of our young people.

In the coming days we will be collaborating with different groups to  provide a Maine Wind Facts Page. Please review the information. Also, please look further and verify for your self that the information we provide is fact based. And finally, take a close look at other facts that you hear in Maine about wind power and verify the source and accuracy of that information.

Paul Williamson, Maine Wind Industry Initiative