Governor Janet Mills released the following statement today on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)’s offer of a research lease to the State for a floating offshore wind research array in the Gulf of Maine:
"Offshore wind offers our state a tremendous opportunity to harness abundant clean energy in our own backyard, to create good-paying jobs and drive economic development, and to reduce our over-reliance on fossil fuels and fight climate change.
"This offer of a lease is a major milestone in our effort to embrace these significant economic and environmental benefits for Maine and Maine people and is a recognition of our nation-leading work to responsibly develop this promising industry.
“My Administration looks forward to reviewing the lease from BOEM over the coming weeks as we strive to advance critical research into floating offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine.”
In 2021, after extensive stakeholder outreach and engagement, Maine applied to BOEM to lease a 15.2 square mile site in the Gulf of Maine to develop the nation’s first floating offshore wind research site in federal waters. As proposed, the research array will contain no more than 12 turbines and intends to utilize floating concrete platforms designed by the University of Maine.
The array will support research into priority topics identified by the Maine Offshore Wind Research Consortium, established in 2021 with bipartisan support of the Legislature to explore potential impacts of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine.
Get more details about the research array, including updated FAQs. To learn more about offshore wind in Maine, please visit maineoffshorewind.org.