Offshore wind research at the University of Maine (Umaine) has been halted after the U.S. Department of Energy suspended funding for Umaine's research project, citing unspecified issues with federal compliance.
The university was notified that US$ 4.1 million in funding had been frozen. The funding is part of a larger $12.62 million award granted to the Advanced Structures and Composites Center. The funding was originally awarded in 2023 through a national competition focused on offshore wind technology development.
The Department of Energy’s letter did not specify the nature of the alleged non-compliance, stating only that the university had failed to meet one or more of the "National Policy Assurances," a set of federal conditions grantees must follow, including nondiscrimination requirements. University officials said they had received no prior notice of any concerns or investigations.
The university has not commented on the immediate implications for the research or the associated Maine-based contracts and jobs. Warren said the university is reviewing the suspension notice, which allows for a 90-day period before further action is required. Further public comment will be made once the university’s assessment is complete.
The suspension notice came just hours after the launch of a 375-ton concrete floating hull designed by UMaine engineers. The hull had arrived at Mack Point in Searsport ahead of the planned May deployment of a floating wind turbine in Penobscot Bay, near Castine. The deployment was scheduled to last 18 months and aimed to collect data on how the floating platform dampens motion from wind and waves.
