Maine is about to begin an offshore wind program that would achieve clean energy targets and utilize floating wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine to provide enough electricity for nearly 900,000 homes.
According to the Act, which parliamentarians approved on Tuesday, 3,000 megawatts of electricity from offshore wind turbines must be produced by 2040. About half of Maine’s electricity load could be powered by that amount of energy.
This bill will create jobs. It entails lowering and stabilizing energy costs while tackling climate change. Sen. Mark Lawrence, a Democrat from York, who is the bill’s sponsor, said, “We need to approve this bill right away.”
In response to Democratic Governor Janet Mills’ veto of a previous bill, legislation was altered, coupled with another bill, and reintroduced. During initial votes on Tuesday, the offshore wind measure was approved by both chambers of the Legislature.
The tweet below confirms the news:
Proposal before Maine lawmakers would jump-start offshore wind projectshttps://t.co/wYz4td29pq pic.twitter.com/hGyTpP43nZ
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) July 26, 2023
If approved, Maine will be able to catch up to states that have offshore wind projects already. However, the wind farm projects would use floating turbines and be located farther offshore than those projects. Incentives are also included to make sure wind energy producers stay away from valuable lobster fishing sites.
Previous to this, Lawrence stated that he thought the compromise proposal had the essential “guardrails in place to make sure this is done right and truly benefits Mainers.”
Offshore Wind Takes Off in the Northeast
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has already given the go-ahead for projects that are currently being built off the coasts of Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island, and last month it cleared the start of construction on New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm. It will organize an auction for Gulf of Mexico leases the following month.
The timeframe for Maine calls for the conclusion of the federal lease sales next year and the state’s publication of a request for proposals for the operation of the offshore wind farms in early 2026.
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When it comes to reliable, strong winds, the Gulf of Maine is prized, but the sea is too deep for conventional wind turbines that are fixed to the ocean floor. The University of Maine has been a leader in developing precast floating turbines that can be constructed on land and towed to sea, and officials in Maine hope that businesses will license technology from this institution.
According to Jack Shapiro, the director of climate and sustainable energy for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, “This is the bill that will kickstart the offshore wind industry in Maine.”
The state was ready to host a $120 million wind project led by the Norwegian business Statoil a decade ago, but Statoil withdrew after the state reopened bidding to give the University of Maine an opportunity.
To achieve its aim of accelerating offshore wind, the United States may require some 2,000 of the most potent turbines. By doing this, it would drastically lessen its reliance on fossil fuels, safeguard the environment, and slow down climate change.
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