Maine’s offshore wind test sites chosen via 12-year-old process
The sites now opposed by commercial fishing interests were selected following a lengthy public input process.
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A 12-year-old state law designed to encourage ocean energy development and reduce Maine’s dependence on fossil fuels set the stage for the current debate over offshore wind power sites.
Part of a 2009 law called the Ocean Energy Act established wind test areas in state waters, which extend 3 miles from the mainland. Those test areas were selected based on criteria that included optimum wind speeds and water depths, as well as attempts to minimize conflicts with existing marine uses such as fishing and seabird nesting.
Mills files 10-year moratorium for offshore wind in state waters
AUGUSTA The Mills Administration introduced legislation on Wednesday that would establish a 10-year moratorium on offshore wind projects located in state waters.
The moratorium would preserve state waters – the 3 miles offshore – for fishing and recreation and maintain the Governor’s priority of locating offshore wind projects in the federal waters of the Gulf of Maine.
“We will focus these efforts in Federal waters farther off our coast, as we responsibly pursue a small research array that can help us establish the best way for Maine to embrace the vast economic and environmental benefits of offshore wind,” Gov. Janet Mills said in a statement. “Fundamentally, I do not believe offshore wind and Maine’s fishing industry are mutually exclusive. I believe they not only can coexist, but, together, can help us build a stronger economy with more good-paying jobs and a brighter, more sustainabl