Maine delegation completes offshore wind mission in Denmark and Norway

Gov. Janet Mills and a handful of state officials are returning to Maine after a trip through Scandinavia to discuss the growth of offshore wind energy with government and industry officials in Norway and Denmark.

After two days in Norway, Mills and a team of state officials traveled to Denmark on Wednesday, meeting with the Danish Parliament’s Climate, Energy and Utilities Committee to discuss technical details related to offshore wind production and Denmark’s energy goals, according to a statement from the governor’s office Friday afternoon.

Later, Mills met with Alan Leventhal, the United States ambassador to Denmark, highlighting Maine’s efforts to attract investment and encourage greater collaboration with other countries, and highlighting its “emerging role as a leader in floating offshore wind.” , the statement said.

Last month, the Department of the Interior announced it would auction off wind leases for eight sites in the Gulf of Maine. This auction is scheduled for October 29th.

Mills called the trip “productive and informative” and said it offered his team the opportunity to meet with government and industry leaders who are “deeply interested in investing” in Maine offshore wind development.

“I look forward to using the information and relationships we have gained in Norway and Denmark to help our state responsibly take advantage of the tremendous environmental and economic opportunities offered by offshore wind energy,” Mills said in a statement.

Earlier this year, the state selected Sears Island in Penobscot Bay as the preferred site for developing and assembling turbines and other components destined for shipping to the gulf.

The Maine delegation also included Dan Burgess, director of the Governor’s Office of Energy; Hannah Pingree, director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future; and Wade Merritt, president of the Maine International Trade Center.

On Thursday afternoon, Mills visited Esbjerg, Denmark’s largest port and the world’s largest offshore wind port, Mills’ office said. There, she and the delegation also heard from local leaders about how the port has worked to protect the country’s fishing industry.

The trip ended Friday with a trip to Give, where the delegation met with a manufacturer to discuss supply chain logistics for offshore wind components.