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Wind Power News: Maine
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Truck carrying wind turbine blade hits Maine bridge, closing part of Route 1
Part of Route 1 in Stockton Springs was closed Friday morning because a truck, or part of what it was carrying, hit a bridge overpass, causing the truck to overturn. Maine State Police say the truck was carrying a long wind turbine blade to the town of Columbia when it collided with a railroad trestle at about 5:30 a.m. Friday. Detours were in place utilizing 174A to 1A and back to Rt. 1. Police said crews would likely be working . . . Complete story »
Seacoast fishermen say they don’t support wind turbines in Gulf of Maine
A federal group wants to put wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine, but some Seacoast fishermen said they don’t want them. On Wednesday night, several fishermen said they can’t get on board with the idea of wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine, but the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said they’re trying to be as safe as possible with this potential project. The proposal would allow the state of Maine to build 12 floating turbines about 30 miles . . . Complete story »
Worried about effect on “clean energy transition,” Mills vetoes bill requiring union workers on state land
Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a bill on Friday that would have required companies leasing state land for clean energy projects to work with unions hoping to represent their workers. The bill, L.D. 373, is aimed at the offshore wind power terminal and manufacturing facility the Mills administration aims to build in Searsport. Mills said she vetoed the bill because it contained ambiguous language and was too far-reaching in its scope. In her veto letter, she wrote that it was unclear . . . Complete story »
Maine House, protecting sand dunes, rejects plan to build offshore wind terminal on Sears Island
The Maine House of Representatives voted Tuesday to protect sand dunes on Sears Island where the Mills administration has proposed to build an offshore wind terminal. In an 80-65 vote, the House rejected legislation that would have authorized the Department of Environmental Protection to grant a permit to build the terminal on an area of Sears Island that includes a coastal sand dune system. If the legislation fails, it is unclear how severely the decision would delay the buildout of . . . Complete story »
Offshore wind threatens centuries of fishing, creates more problems than it solves
The New England electric grid – ISO New England – has a website that includes a display featuring two pie charts that show where our electricity is coming from, updated in real time. Right now, “renewables” are at 7% of our total energy mix. Wind is 28% of that 7%, solar is 10% of that 7%, and the rest of the renewables come from burning wood, trash, and methane from dumps. Hydro isn’t listed as renewable, natural gas and nuclear . . . Complete story »
Right whales seem to not be a concern in new plans
Massachusetts fishermen say feds are hypocritical in Gulf of Maine wind energy designation. A move to designate two million acres in the Gulf of Maine as a hub for wind energy is snagging a sharp hook from Massachusetts fishermen who say the development overlooks risks to the North Atlantic right whale. A handful of Bay State fishermen advocacy groups are teaming with counterparts from across New England in criticizing the Biden administration’s plans to industrialize the area off the coasts . . . Complete story »
Janet Mills proposes rolling back dune protections to build offshore wind port
Gov. Janet Mills wants to roll back protections for the sand dunes that partially make up the state’s preferred site for a landmark offshore wind terminal. The Democratic governor’s bill, which was submitted this week by Rep. Gerry Runte, D-York, a member of the Legislature’s energy committee, is aimed at clearing the way for the terminal. The Mills administration picked Sears Island in Searsport over nearby Mack Point as its preferred staging ground for shipping wind components out to sea. . . . Complete story »
Feds announce possible location for Gulf of Maine wind farm
Maine’s lobster industry opposes plans for a commercial wind energy facility in a 2-million-acre swath of the gulf. Federal officials announced Friday they have identified a 2-million-acre swath of the Gulf of Maine for a commercial wind farm. The designated area ranges from about 23 to 93 miles off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said the area is 80% smaller than the initial proposal and avoids lobstering areas, tribal fishing grounds, . . . Complete story »
Organizers stand against building offshore wind port at Sears Island
The Alliance for Sears Island and their allies gathered in Belfast today to stand against the decision to build an offshore wind port at Sears Island. Governor Mills announced the location Tuesday. The Alliance believes the state should have offshore wind power, but the port should be at a different location They say Mack Point would be a better site and just as many jobs would be available there. Organizers believe the biodiversity of Sears Island needs to be preserved . . . Complete story »
Sears Island – state-owned and undeveloped – selected for offshore wind power port
Gov. Janet Mills announced Tuesday that her administration has selected Sears Island in Searsport as the preferred site for development of a large, offshore wind port designed to jumpstart the clean energy economy in Maine and the transition away from fossil fuels. Selection of the site follows a public stakeholder process led by the Maine Department of Transportation and the Maine Port Authority to consider several potential options in the Port of Searsport, the Port of Eastport and the Port . . . Complete story »
