Our state has the opportunity to unlock the power of offshore wind to generate clean, homegrown energy, reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, to stabilize energy prices, to create good-paying jobs in a growing industry, and to protect our environment for future generations.
After a lot of discussions and negotiations with a lot of interested parties, I was pleased to sign into law a bill that will responsibly advance offshore wind energy in Maine
Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.
This new law does a few things to responsibly advance the development of offshore wind in Maine.
- First, the law authorizes my Energy Office to develop energy procurements of up to 3,000 megawatts – or three gigawatts—of electricity from offshore wind projects. That’s necessary to meet our goal of moving to 100 percent clean energy in Maine in the future.
- Secondly, the law allows all bidders – all companies who want to bid on this – equal opportunity for construction contracts in accordance with job-quality standards, maximizing the opportunity for Maine workers and Maine employers in the offshore wind industry.
- Thirdly, the law enacts new standards for all developers that they must follow to construct an offshore wind port in the future. Now, no site has been chosen yet, but the Maine Department of Transportation is expected to identify a preferred location in the coming months.
- Fourthly, the new law protects prime lobstering ground by giving preference to offshore wind projects that are outside of critical fishing locations for our lobstermen. Now, these are federal fishing waters – but we know that we must protect Lobster Management Area 1, for instance, and that’s what this bill does.
I thank the legislators and stakeholders who, through collaboration and compromise, have positioned Maine to pursue the benefits of offshore wind in a reasonable way. This new law puts all Maine workers and businesses on a level playing field, it allows for the development of critical port infrastructure—good jobs—and it allows for offshore wind projects, and importantly, it respects those who rely on the ocean for their livelihoods.
I am pleased with the final outcome of this legislation, and I am proud to have signed it into law.
This is Governor Janet Mills and thank you for listening.