AUGUSTA (AP) – The company that had eyed Harpswell as a port for a liquefied natural gas terminal until voters said no is looking elsewhere in southern Maine, the state’s economic development chief said.

Officials of TransCanada Power met with state officials in mid-April.

Economic and Community Development Commissioner Jack Cashman said TransCanada Power, still working with ConocoPhillips, has identified a handful of sites south of Rockland.

A new terminal would need facilities to dock 1,000-foot ships, offload the frozen fossil fuel, reconvert it to natural gas, then pump it to an existing pipeline.

TransCanada spokeswoman Heidi Feick said Friday that 27 potential sites were identified before Harpswell. Many of those were subsequently eliminated.

TransCanada did not inquire about the availability of state-owned Sears Island in Searsport for a terminal, Cashman said.

Cashman said Gov. John Baldacci wants to see a match between a willing host community and an LNG terminal.

Feick said TransCanada could not pledge to pursue a terminal project only in a community that welcomes it, but “as an organization, we are very committed to working with and building relationships with all stakeholders.”

No other companies have contacted the state with serious proposals, Cashman said.

AP-ES-05-01-04 1359EDT