December 2024 NRCM Sustainable Maine Program Manager Vanessa Berry is quoted in this Portland Press Herald article about the Board of Environmental Protection voting in support of Maine’s new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging rules. The bill to create Maine’s first-in-the-nation EPR for Packaging law, out of which these rules came, was signed into law Read More
Offshore Wind
Climate change is the greatest threat facing the wildlife, outdoor spaces, and coastlines we all cherish as Mainers. We already have the technologies needed to avoid the worst — but we must act now to move rapidly away from expensive and unreliable oil and gas.
Responsibly developing offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine will provide the large amounts of home-grown energy we need to power the future.
Why NRCM is Supporting an Offshore Wind Port on Sears Island
The Natural Resources Council of Maine supports a proposed offshore wind (OSW) port on Sears Island because it is our best chance to create a new clean energy industry for Maine that helps us become more energy independent, reduce harmful air pollution, and create thousands of new good-paying jobs. In this post, we explain the Read More
Successful Gulf of Maine Offshore Wind Lease Sale Kicks Off a New Clean Energy Era
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 Read More
Sales Notice Posted for Gulf of Maine Wind Projects
News Release September 16, 2024 (Augusta, ME) – The federal government today issued its final sale notice for the responsible development of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) notice sets October 29th as the date for its auction of lease areas for building floating offshore wind projects Read More
Tracking Fossil Fuel Shipments in the Gulf of Maine
I’ve known for a long time that Maine is reliant on heating oil and has heavy emissions from the transportation sector. However, without fossil fuel infrastructure such as oil rigs or fracking wells in Maine, it’s easy to forget just how reliant we are. We import all our fuel, mostly via tanker ships and pipelines. Read More
My Experience Interning for Maine’s Environment
This summer, I’ve been interning with the Natural Resources Council of Maine’s (NRCM) advocacy department. I’ve been working mostly with the climate and clean energy team, my work has consisted of building statewide support for offshore wind development, learning about the expansion of electric vehicle chargers throughout the state, and town opinions on community solar Read More
The Economic Promise of Offshore Wind in Maine
Offshore wind holds great promise for Maine. Floating offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine is expected to generate about half of the electricity Maine needs by 2040 by providing a reliable source of renewable energy. This will bring a once-in-a-century opportunity to create good-paying jobs for Maine workers now and into the future. And Read More
News & Noteworthy—January – March 2024
Each month, we highlight news stories and opinion pieces related to NRCM’s work to protect Maine’s air, land, water, and wildlife. March 2024 NRCM Sustainable Maine Program Manager Vanessa Berry was featured in an NPR story about Maine’s first-in-the-nation Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging law and other states trying to pass similar legislation. L.L. Bean’s Read More
Final Wind Energy Area for Gulf of Maine Protects Key Fishing Ground and Minimizes Wildlife Impacts
BOEM Announcement Sets the Stage for What Could be Nation’s First Floating Offshore Wind Farms News Release March 15, 2024 (Augusta, ME) — The federal government today announced the final Wind Energy Area where development of offshore wind may occur in the Gulf of Maine. The area designated by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Read More
