Construction delays and energy economics appear to have cost two offshore wind-energy demonstration projects in Oregon and Virginia millions of dollars in federal grants, allowing two others in Maine and Ohio to accelerate their own development efforts.
The U.S. Energy Dept. on May 27 said Cleveland-based nonprofit Lake Erie Energy Development Corp.’s 18-MW Icebreaker, the first U.S. freshwater offshore wind-energy project, and the University of Maine’s 12-MW Aqua Ventus I project would join the Atlantic City Windfarm, developed by Fishermen’s Energy, Cape May, N.J., in a program that could gain each project up to $40 million in new funds over three years for construction.