Maine Passes Bill to Jumpstart State’s Offshore Wind Industry

July 27, 2023, by Adnan Memija

The Maine Legislature has passed a bill that would call for the state to procure 3 GW of offshore wind by 2040, which is now expected to be signed into law by Governor Janet Mills.

The bill calls for Maine to procure 3 GW of offshore wind power generation by 2040, enough to power 900,000 homes and supply half of the state’s total electricity demand.

According to the timeline for offshore wind lease sales in the US published by the Department of the Interior (DOI) in 2021, BOEM is planned to designate Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in the Gulf of Maine until the fourth quarter of this year and hold an offshore wind auction in 2024.

The bill also contains provisions to support supply chain development and a construction port on Maine’s coast to be used for turbine assembly.

With waters deeper than those used for previously approved east coast offshore wind projects, development in the Gulf of Maine will consist entirely of floating wind turbines.

The bill also contains provisions for lobster fishing in the Gulf of Maine and to prioritize jobs for Maine residents.

It could help meet Maine’s bipartisan emissions reduction targets and put the state on a path to meeting the proposed goal of 100 per cent renewable energy by 2040.

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Carol Oldham, Business Network for Offshore Wind northeast director said, “We would like to congratulate Maine’s elected officials for coming together to pass this historic advancement of offshore wind in Maine. Once signed into law, this bill will allow Maine and the broader U.S. to become leaders in floating offshore wind technology.”

“We encourage Maine to work closely with neighboring states to develop the robust supply chain and port infrastructure necessary for these projects. The Network looks forward to Maine’s offshore wind development and the creation of clean, consistent, affordable electricity for its citizens.”

A couple of weeks ago, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) completed a draft environmental assessment (EA) of the potential issuance of a research lease to the State of Maine that would grant the State the exclusive right to submit plans for a twelve-turbine, 144 MW floating wind farm for BOEM’s approval.

The State of Maine submitted an application for the research lease for a site located more than 20 nautical miles off the Maine coast in October 2021.