ORONO, Maine (AP) — A state university center that researches deep-water wind generation was on U.S. Interior Ken Salazar’s agenda during his New England tour Thursday, as Maine prepares to deploy an offshore wind-power prototype next year.

Salazar planned to tour the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center, where he hoped to learn more about testing, deployment, fabrication and environmental monitoring of the structures.

The center has received more than $20 million in federal funding for its work on offshore wind power.

With the severe weather conditions miles out at sea, corrosion-resistant materials being developed at the UMaine lab are critical to a successful wind-generation project.

UMaine leads the DeepCWind Consortium, which also includes, nonprofits, utilities, businesses involved in offshore and marine design and construction, and firms with expertise in wind project siting. Their goal is to generate 5 gigawatts of power by 2030, employing floating turbines located 20-50 miles offshore.

A one-third scale turbine is scheduled for deployment next July off Monhegan Island, and full-size turbines — about the size of the Washington Monument — would gradually be built.

Salazar last year promised to spur offshore wind projects in the Atlantic Ocean by expediting permits and identifying promising areas for wind power. He promised a “smart permitting process” that could result in leases issued within two years, instead of seven years or more.

The secretary made his pitch shortly after a report by the National Wildlife Federation and co-sponsored by three dozen other organizations said America has a largely untapped potential for offshore wind power. It called for a more aggressive approach for wind power development off the Atlantic coast.

Salazar had a full agenda in the state that bills itself Vacationland, with stops planned in the shopping mecca of Freeport, the state university in Orono, and Millinocket in the heart of the state’s north woods. The secretary was being accompanied on the first two stops by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

At outdoor-goods giant L.L. Bean’s flagship store in Freeport, Salazar and Collins were to hear about successful public-private partnerships that drive outdoor recreation and encourage youth activities outdoors.

On Thursday, Salazar also planned to travel to Millinocket to hear from community members and stakeholders about the potential creation of a new North Woods National Park east of Baxter State Park and adjacent to the Penobscot River.

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