The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has completed an environmental review that will allow a wind power study lease offshore the Gulf of Maine to move forward with further work, including a power purchase agreement, officials announced Tuesday.
Maine is proposing to place 12 offshore wind turbines producing 144 megawatts of electricity on a floating platform developed by the University of Maine, and a lease assessment found there would be no significant impacts to the proposed site about 28 nautical miles off the coast southeast of Portland, allowing the state to move forward with the plan.
Maine’s floating wind turbines prove durable in storm simulations, researchers say
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said the award marks a milestone in the state’s efforts to embrace the benefits of offshore wind energy and recognizes “our nation-leading efforts to responsibly develop this promising industry.”
The first prototype of an offshore wind turbine developed by the University of Maine is seen in this file photo taken on Sept. 20, 2013, near Castine, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
The lease agreement is separate from one in which the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management designated a larger area of the Gulf of Maine for offshore wind power, which sets the stage for lease sales this fall.
Jack Shapiro of the Maine Natural Resources Council said the project is subject to further approvals but is expected to be the first floating offshore wind farm in the United States.
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“This research array is the next step in positioning Maine as a hub for the floating offshore wind industry, creating new jobs, protecting precious natural resources, and providing Maine and the surrounding region with the vast amounts of clean, reliable energy we need to power our future,” said Shapiro, the organization’s director of climate and clean energy.
