About 100 people crowded into the second floor of the Boothbay Fire House for Statoil's Hywind Maine open house on Monday night. This was the first public gathering in Maine hosted by the Norwegian energy giant, who is considering a pilot floating wind farm about 12 nautical miles off the coast of Boothbay Harbor.

For three hours, Statoil representatives and their environmental and public relations consultants mingled amid posters, charts and videos explaining the project, the permitting process, environmental studies and the potential impacts. Among the interested were fishermen, environmentalists, businessmen and town and state agency representatives.

The general mood was one of cautious optimism. Other than fishermen, who readily expressed their concerns for lost fishing grounds and effects on marine life, many spoke enthusiastically about the potential for clean energy, jobs and a boost to Maine's economy.

"We're quite amazed by the number of people here tonight,” Statoil representative Kari Hege Mork said. “We are happy to be able to reach out to so many." Mork said she felt those gathered represented a good balance of support and concern.

Director of the governor's Energy Office Ken Fletcher said it was important that everyone understand this is the very beginning of the federal leasing review process and there will be ample opportunities for public input. He also said that although the amount of energy produced by the pilot farm will be costly and small, its importance is in its potential for the future, both in developing sustainable clean energy technology and as an economic stimulus.

"This isn't about electricity; it's about economic development," Fletcher said. "If Maine can develop the technology, that should bring economic development to the state."

Michael Mayhew, owner of Heliotropic Technologies, a green-energy engineering business based in Boothbay Harbor, spoke of the vast offshore wind supplies and the potential for clean energy. “The amount of power off the East Coast is huge,” Mayhew said. “This is soft technology – easy on the environment – and the magnitude is huge. I’m thrilled.”

Mark Brewer has fished in the vicinity of the proposed offshore lease site for tuna, lobster and shrimp for 12 years. “I'd be directly affected by this,” Brewer said. He and other fishermen said they were particularly concerned about the direction of the underwater electrical cable and how its presence might affect fishing and fishery resources. “We don't know a lot of answers right now,” Brewer said.

East Boothbay shipbuilder Washburn and Doughty representative Matt Maddox said the local shipbuilder is interested in the business prospects. "We're interested in fabricating structures and the possibility of building boats to service the wind farm. We believe this would be very good for business in Maine."

Representatives from Tetra Tech, an environmental and engineering consulting firm hired by Statoil, said environmental studies at the offshore lease site have begun. Bird and bat surveys began in May and marine bottom habitat surveys will begin in July. Fisheries data will be gathered from state and federal officials, as well as fishermen.

Tetra Tech representative Jennifer Daniels said Statoil will be advertising for a fisheries liaison to bridge the communication gap between the company and fishermen.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the federal agency responsible for offshore energy development, is expected to issue a public notice for the Statoil proposal in July. The notice will seek any other competitive interest in the lease site and will seek public comment on the proposal’s potential effects.

Related stories: "Statoil’s Wind Farm representatives meet in Boothbay," "Fishermen concerned about offshore wind production," and "What’s on the horizon for offshore wind energy."