PORTLAND, Maine — A state site on the coast of Maine will serve as the site of an offshore wind port critical to the development of the nation’s first floating offshore wind energy research array, the state’s governor said Tuesday.
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills last year signed a bill aimed at ensuring that by 2040, Maine will get enough energy from offshore wind turbines to power about half of its electric load. An offshore wind port to build, equip and deploy the turbine equipment is an important part of the project. that effort. The port is also critical to the development of the research array, which would include up to twelve turbines on semi-submersible concrete platforms in federal waters.
Mills said Tuesday that the state has selected state-owned Sears Island, about 117 miles northeast of Portland, as the preferred location for the port facility. The site would take up about 100 acres (40.47 hectares) of the 941-acre (380.81 hectares) island and is the most feasible place to build the port, Mills said.
The Sears Island package “makes the most fundamental sense and gives us the best opportunity to responsibly advance offshore wind energy in Maine, an industry that will create good-paying jobs for Maine residents and provide clean, renewable energy to stabilize and reduce energy prices for Maine. people and businesses in the long term,” said Mills.
Mills has said Maine is positioned to become a leader in offshore wind energy development. The port is expected to cost about $500 million, and Maine is seeking funding from federal and other sources, she said. The proposal will also be subject to extensive state and federal permitting.
Meanwhile, the state has proposed leasing a site in the Gulf of Maine for the floating research array. That application is with the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
Offshore wind energy development has often been a controversial topic in Maine, where members of the state’s historic lobster fishing industry have raised questions about how they would be affected by the development and use of turbines. The Maine Lobstermen’s Association said in a statement Tuesday that it stands by its position that “offshore wind energy should not be developed in one of the most productive marine areas in the world,” the Gulf of Maine.
The group added that “the productive and sensitive waters of the Gulf of Maine should not be used as a testing ground for new offshore wind technology or as a site for large industrial wind farms.”
Some community and conservation groups in the state have also opposed wind energy development. Steve Miller, a member of the Alliance for Sears Island, said his group planned a demonstration Wednesday because they felt the state was “breaking its promise to the people of Maine” by locating the port on the island.
The American Association of Port Authorities quickly spoke out in favor of the project. Ian Gansler, the group’s energy, resiliency and sustainability policy manager, said all offshore wind projects “rely on port infrastructure for their construction, and it is critical that Maine invests in its ports to make this future a reality. ”
Several conservation and labor groups also spoke out in favor of the port plan on Tuesday. Some characterized it as a boost to jobs in rural Maine, while others said it would boost renewable energy production in New England.
“The rapid deployment of renewable energy is critical to avoiding the worst impacts of climate change and protecting Maine’s wildlife,” said Sarah Haggerty, conservation biologist and GIS manager at Maine Audubon. “Floating offshore wind energy offers an incredible opportunity to generate a large amount of clean energy while successfully coexisting with the Gulf’s wildlife.”