Win, Win, Wind.
Maine’s science-driven, phased approach to offshore wind development checks all the boxes and meets the needs of Maine people, Maine industries, and Maine’s environment. The Maine Research Array presents a wealth of opportunity to create jobs and an industry for the future, infuse hundreds of millions of dollars into Maine’s local economy, reduce our dangerous dependence on fossil fuels and make a significant impact on the climate crisis, all while protecting our vital tourism and fishing industries.
Climate Action
The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the world’s oceans, posing a significant threat to our ocean ecosystem and lobster fisheries. Experts have predicted that if we don’t slow the continued warming of the Gulf of Maine, we could lose 45% of our lobster population by 2050. One of our key goals is to help protect the Gulf of Maine and to preserve our iconic Maine industries.
In 2019, 72% of Maine’s commercial fish landings were attributed to lobster, totaling nearly half a billion dollars in direct economic input. We want to maintain this vital economic driver, which means we need to prevent our lobster population from moving further north into cooler Canadian waters. Transitioning to clean, renewable offshore wind energy can help achieve this goal, and because of the strategic placement of the small-scale Research Array in federal waters more than 20 miles from state waters where 75% of lobsters are caught, we can reap the environmental rewards with minimal disruption to our vibrant fishing economy.
Harnessing the robust wind resources off the coast of Maine is a critical component of achieving the climate, clean energy, and economic objectives set into law by a bipartisan Maine legislature. As an energy resource, offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine brings unique benefits including some of the highest sustained wind speeds in the world and highest speeds in winter when Maine’s energy needs are greatest.
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Maine people spend nearly $4.4 billion annually to import fossil fuels, and the average family in Maine spends close to $10,000 per year on energy costs alone. We are the most heating oil dependent state in the country. This is a huge burden on Maine people. We have 156 gigawatts of clean, renewable offshore wind capacity within 50 miles of our Maine coast. That kind of wind capacity could power every home in Maine. Instead of spending billions of dollars importing electricity and fuel into the state, we could generate our own clean renewable energy and keep our energy dollars in Maine.
Clean
Energy
Jobs and
Economic Development
With some estimates forecasting offshore wind as a $1 trillion global market by 2040, responsible development of this local industry is a unique opportunity for Maine to create good paying jobs in clean energy fields, maritime careers, manufacturing and fabrication trades, engineering, shipbuilding, and more. By advancing our homegrown, Maine-made floating offshore wind technology and leveraging the state’s robust maritime experience, local supply chain, and workforce development programs, we can build offshore wind here in Maine and export it to the rest of the country and the world. This is an incredible opportunity to situate a thriving floating offshore wind industry at the intersection of technical services and manufacturing in the state of Maine.