The governor’s office and developer of the wind energy research array in the Gulf of Maine say they’ll follow federal regulators’ direction to address safety and environmental issues.
offshore wind
U.S. offers state a lease to research offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine
The move could establish Maine as a leader in developing the offshore wind industry and provide valuable information about how to build out similar projects.
Sears Island has staved off industrialization for decades. Now it may become Maine’s wind port.
Even environmentalists disagree over whether the state’s largest uninhabited island is an ideal site for Maine to stake a claim in the offshore wind industry. Many say Mack Point’s the better choice.
State applies for $456 million federal grant to build wind port on Sears Island
Opponents who favor nearby Mack Point as the location for the terminal criticized the state, saying it is focusing the grant application on Sears Island before completing a study of both sites.
Turbine-hating Trump poses new threat to beleaguered offshore wind
The candidate’s vocal disdain for wind farms is another worry for developers, who’ve faced high costs and supply chain woes.
Maine House, protecting sand dunes, rejects plan to build offshore wind terminal on Sears Island
It is unclear how severely the decision will delay the buildout of a wind port in Maine, which would create hundreds of high-paying jobs and advance the state’s climate goals.
Critics call plan for Searsport offshore wind site ‘dangerous precedent,’ point to coastal impacts
Wind power advocates and conservationists looking to protect Sears Island from use as a wind power hub presented their points of view to lawmakers, who must choose between the two sides.
State selects Sears Island as preferred site for Maine’s new offshore wind port
The decision to develop the Searsport location to assemble and ship turbines and other offshore wind components to sites in the Gulf of Maine is subject to state and federal permitting.
Massive windfarm project to be built off Virginia coast gains key federal approval
Dominion Energy says construction should be done by late 2026.
Commentary: State advisory group reached no consensus on Maine offshore wind port site
Building the port on scenic Sears Island will incur environmental damages, and mitigating them was not included when MDOT drew up construction estimates versus Mack Point.