WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) highlighted the work done at the University of Maine to support the forest economy and biobased industries, and emphasized the need for research and development institutions across the country to work together in support of American manufacturing and other home-grown industries. Senator King’s remarks came after a recent tour of the Katahdin region that also included a large roundtable discussion in Lincoln with more than 70 forest products stakeholders on challenges and opportunities for the state’s forest products industry.  

“One of the most important areas [of research] is nanocellulose technology. We have a goldmine of fiber in Maine, which historically has been used to make paper, [but] the paper industry has been brutally hammered in the last five or six years,” said Senator King. “We need a George Washington Carver of fiber – I remember from the sixth grade that George Washington Carver was the scientist who figured out a hundred ways to use peanuts. We need that kind of research [on uses of forest fiber]. The University of Maine is doing it, and you could be a huge help.”

Senator King’s remarks were addressed to Dr. Craig Blue, the Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Office at Oakridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Oakridge is the largest U.S. Department of Energy science and energy laboratory and is home to the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility that provides industry with affordable and convenient access to facilities, tools and expertise to facilitate rapid deployment of advanced manufacturing technologies to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing. Senator King urged Dr. Blue to coordinate efforts with researchers at the University of Maine, who are already exploring how to use nanocellulose technology to bolster Maine’s forest products industry.

The University of Maine (UMaine) is a leader in nanocellulose technology, which uses wood pulp to create high-strength, low-weight materials that can be used to manufacture high performance products. UMaine is home to a Nanofiber Pilot Plant, which was constructed through a joint venture agreement with the USDA Forest Service and is capable of producing one ton of nanofiber per day. UMaine’s Nanocellulose Research Program is also part of a research consortium led by the Forest Products Laboratory, the national research laboratory of the U.S. Forest Service.

Today’s hearing in the Energy Committee focused on status of innovative technologies in advanced manufacturing, and follows Senator King’s economic development tour of the Katahdin region. During the tour, which included federal officials from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Senator King focused much of his attention on ways to revitalize and strengthen Maine’s forest products economy. He also announced that Secretary of Commerce, Penny Pritzker, had recently informed him that she instructed a team from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to begin leading the Commerce Department’s efforts to assist rural communities in Maine as they work to recover from the economic downturn resulting from the closure of several area mills over the past few years.

Senator King’s full remarks from today’s Energy Hearing are available HERE.

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