Maine's quest to become a leader in developing an alternative energy industry has plenty of support in Augusta and Orono, but along the shoreline people are more wary. While some see the development of offshore wind energy as a powerful engine for economic growth in Maine, many in the state's beleaguered lobster industry fear that wind farms will be just one more item on a growing list of obstacles to fishing in the Gulf of Maine. Last month, the state's Ocean Energy Task Force tentatively identified four sites along the Maine coast as potential locations for testing offshore wind generators.

Converting ocean winds into electricity could be a boon for the state but many obstacles need to be resolved before it can become a reality. That was the message former Gov. Angus King delivered Wednesday to more than 200 people attending the second Maine Coastal Waters Conference at Point Lookout. King said the state will need to factor the needs of shipping, fisheries and environmental groups when siting wind generators offshore. In addition, the technology to harness that energy has yet to be developed, he said.

Having considered seven sites along Maine's coast for offshore wind demonstration projects, state officials on Tuesday narrowed the list to four possible locations where researchers might explore the potential for wind power facilities. The University of Maine, which earlier this month received an $8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for wind energy research, and commercial developers will be able to test deep-water wind turbines.

Maine's pursuit of renewable energy got a stiff tailwind from two directions Thursday. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that a consortium led by the University of Maine has been awarded as much as $8 million to develop technology to harness winds and deploy two floating, offshore turbines in the Gulf of Maine. Also Thursday, Gov. John Baldacci's office announced it would help start up the first half of a Kibby Mountain wind power project.

Gov. John Baldacci and a national energy expert on Tuesday touted Maine's capacity to become a major producer of wind power and manufacturing jobs as the nation shifts to greener sources of energy. But just outside the wind energy conference where the two men spoke, several dozen protesters accused the Baldacci administration and wind power companies of ignoring the impacts that the enormous turbines can have on the health and property values of nearby residents as well as on wildlife.

Maine was one of 10 states to create the nation's first market-based system to fight climate change. By putting a price on carbon dioxide emissions, it encourages large power plants to become cleaner and more efficient. It's too early to measure any effects on pollution or on electricity prices, especially given a recession that has reduced production - and thus emissions - far more than any government action.

At a confidential meeting today, parties including the staff of the Maine Public Utilities Commission and Central Maine Power Co. will seek ways to settle CMP's landmark request for a $1.4 billion upgrade of its transmission system. But two prominent parties in the case say the settlement attempt - initiated at CMP's urging - reflects political pressure by the utility's parent company and threatens to short-circuit a legal process that's meant to test whether the project is necessary in its proposed form.

This week, Concerned Citizens to Save Roxbury appealed the Maine Department of Environmental Protection's approval of the Record Hill Wind Project. The group wants the DEP's board to hold a public hearing to explore conflicting medical and technical information regarding the licensing of large wind turbine projects. The appeal comes while Gov. John Baldacci is on a trade mission in Europe to promote Maine as an attractive place to develop wind power.

Through its sophisticated operations center here, the Iberdrola power company can instantly check on any of its 5,500 wind turbines in 10 countries, using giant electronic maps showing the locations and data from the machinery such as wind speed and temperature readings. By pushing a few buttons, operators can see whatever they need to make their global system more efficient as it turns wind into electricity, from blown-out schematics of each turbine to real-time photographs. What Maine officials would like to see is a few of those wind turbines in their state.

About 35 people, including fishermen, biologists, conservationists and others, on Wednesday night attended the third in a series of meetings being held along Maine's coast to gather information about proposed offshore wind power development. Following a legislative mandate, the state has identified seven areas that are possible demonstration sites for testing wind power equipment.

The U.S. Senate has approved $5 million for a University of Maine research program seeking to develop wind turbine technology capable of operating in the harsh conditions in the Gulf of Maine. A state task force, meanwhile, continued on Thursday to discuss the enormous opportunities but daunting technological, financial and regulatory challenges of developing ocean-based renewable energy projects off the coast of Maine.

Gov. John Baldacci is hoping that the U.S. Department of Energy, now under a new administration, will get behind a deep water windpower test project off the coast of Maine. Baldacci had a supportive audience today at the 2009 EnergyOcean Conference in Rockport, where policy makers mingled with engineers and developers, all with an interest in tapping the state's oceans winds and waves for power generation.

The Maine Senate took a lopsided initial vote Monday to deny Carrabassett Valley the right to move forward with a plan to annex Redington Township. Senators voted 29-6 against it, in a reversal of the State and Local Government Committee vote, which approved the measure.

International energy companies are looking at Maine to test new designs for massive wind turbines and support structures that would float in deep water, out of sight of the coast and in line with the strongest breezes. Two of the businesses have been attending monthly meetings of Maine's Ocean Energy Task Force, which must identify up to five offshore demonstration sites before year's end.

A legislative committee on Thursday endorsed a massive energy bill that would revamp Maine's efficiency and conservation programs but could slow down Gov. John Baldacci's plan for "energy corridors" through the state. ..."Maine should not simply be a pathway for them to get their power out of New Brunswick without us seeing some benefit from it," said Rep. John Martin, an Eagle Lake Democrat and the committee's co-chairman. New Brunswick-based Irving Oil has expressed interest in the energy corridors.

Proponents of renewable energy projects, such a wind or hydroelectric, may find support in a new provincial bill. At the same time, municipalities could find their bylaws overruled with the proposed Green Energy Act, said David Royston, solicitor for the District Municipality of Muskoka.

Now a bill in the Legislature would make Maine the first state in the U.S. to have utilities pay premiums, through long-term contracts, to small producers using solar, wind, hydro and other green energy sources. Supporters say it would create thousands of jobs and help wean Maine from its dependence on imported fuel. Sounds good, but who would pay the cost of these above-market rates?

Søren Hermansen, the spokesperson for Samsø Island-Denmark's alternative energy island-was back in Maine last month. Hermansen first came to Maine as a guest of the Island Institute last November where he gave presentations to packed audiences in Portland and Belfast and to island communities. During his recent visit, Hermansen addressed the Governor's Offshore Energy Task Force ...Hermansen's recommendations, based on the last decade of his experiences on Samsø Island, are to start small, invite the public to participate and educate, educate educate before scaling up.

Saint John-based Irving Oil Ltd. is studying the potential construction of a 500- to 600-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant to sell into the energy-hungry New England market. The project was revealed as New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham and Maine Gov. John Baldacci were in Saint John announcing their governments' intention to explore the development of an energy corridor to move electricity and natural gas between the Maritimes and New England.

Lawmakers heard hours of often emotional testimony Thursday on bills that highlight growing tensions over the use of Maine's abundant wind and water resources. Much of the debate focused on the roles municipalities and local residents play when wind-energy companies and water bottlers come to town. Dozens of people turned out to oppose a controversial and short-lived proposal that aimed to speed up development of industrial-scale wind power by limiting municipalities' ability to control where massive turbines are located.