News release
October 29, 2024 (Augusta, ME) – A new era for clean energy in New England kicked off today when the federal government announced the results of its first floating offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Maine.
Four of the eight available lease areas were purchased by developers, including one in the northern gulf, 53 miles off the coast of Maine. The four leases could support enough offshore wind capacity to supply 2.3 million homes with clean energy.
The lease sale bolsters Maine’s leadership on floating offshore wind, as the developers of these lease areas will serve as potential commercial partners for the state’s proposed offshore wind port on Sears Island. The wind power generated from these projects will also deliver a reliable source of renewable energy to Maine homes and businesses, helping keep costs as low as possible for everyone, and reducing the state’s reliance on expensive and unreliable oil and gas.
Maine’s leading environmental advocacy group, the Natural Resources Council of Maine released the following statement from Climate & Clean Energy Director Jack Shapiro:
“This successful lease sale is a momentous step forward for Maine’s goals to tackle climate change and build a new clean energy industry centered on our proud maritime and shipbuilding heritage.
It is the result of a years-long planning process focused on balancing the needs of all users of the Gulf of Maine while accelerating the transition to more reliable, renewable sources of energy.
Responsibly developed offshore wind will make us more energy independent, reduce harmful air pollution, and deliver good-paying jobs, all while protecting ocean wildlife and avoiding key fishing grounds.”
In 2023, environmental groups and organized labor partnered to pass a landmark offshore wind law with strong labor standards, extensive wildlife protections, and incentives for investments in coastal communities. Based in part on provisions in Maine’s offshore wind law, the areas being leased by the federal government are outside Lobster Management Area 1, the fishing grounds used by nearly the entire Maine-based lobster fishery.
Researchers and students at the University of Maine are developing the innovative floating wind turbine technology that needs to be used in the deep ocean waters of the Gulf of Maine, and a State-sponsored research array will help provide valuable lessons learned and scientific data that will inform future projects to maximize community benefit and protect wildlife.
The next offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Maine will be held by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in 2028.
