AUGUSTA - Governor John E. Baldacci today signed LD 1465, An Act To Facilitate Testing and Demonstration of Renewable Ocean Energy Technology. The Governor's bill, sponsored by Senator Barry Hobbins, establishes a streamlined permit process for companies that want to test promising new renewable ocean energy technologies in appropriate sites in the Gulf of Maine. Up to five such sites will be selected by Dec. 15, 2009.

"Maine is a leader in promoting development of clean, renewable energy," said Governor Baldacci. "Maine's resources, including our ocean, give us great strength in competing for research dollars and attracting private energy development companies. But we know competition for these dollars and jobs is fierce. This legislation was necessary to notify the world of Maine's incredible wind resource."

The Governor said he will be taking this message to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu tomorrow in Washington, D.C. The Governor will be joined in the meeting by Senator Olympia Snowe, Senator Susan Collins, Congressman Mike Michaud, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and Habib Dagher of the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at the University of Maine. The State is seeking to become a national center for research and development in offshore wind energy.

In addition to the legislation signed into law today, the Governor will make the case that Maine is the ideal place for Federal investment in an offshore wind power demonstration and testing site.

"While other states are talking about the potential for wind power, Maine is already in a leadership role," said Governor Baldacci. "We have deep water access only three miles offshore. We have a world class center at the University of Maine under the leadership of Habib Dagher. In less than two weeks, Maine will be hosting an international Energy Ocean Conference that will bring more than 350 scientists, policymakers and financiers to Maine. And there is strong bipartisan support for $7.5 million in the bond package I proposed for a demonstration site."

The legislation signed today directs a site, termed the Maine Offshore Wind Energy Research Center, to be for wind energy demonstration projects conducted by or in cooperation with wind energy technology researchers at the University of Maine.

The Ocean Energy Task Force will work to identify the sites called for in the legislation as well as review and amend as necessary our existing permitting requirements for offshore wind projects that are commercially viable today. In Addition, the Task Force will continue its work to promote research and testing to encourage alternative energy related businesses in Maine.

LD 1465 passed without opposition in both houses of the Maine Legislature. The Governor credited the large number of stakeholders, including his Ocean Energy Task Force and state legislators, who worked hard to reach a consensus. The law went into effect with the Governor's signing of the emergency legislation.

The Governor said, "Our clean, renewable ocean energy resources will help us end our oil and gas dependence, which is costing us billions of dollars every year -- 100 percent of which goes out of state and overseas -- and that is changing our climate in fundamental and often detrimental ways. This kind of investment will create jobs and help to expand Maine's economy."

For more information on the Ocean Energy Task Force, including its membership, duties as outlined by the Governor's Executive Order creating it, and interim report, please visit http://www.maine.gov/spo/specialprojects/OETF/.