Federal regulators have made a final designation of roughly 2 million acres in the Gulf of Maine where offshore wind turbines can be deployed to help provide power to New England.
The boundary set by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management does not include any part of the federal lobster management area 1, where the vast majority of lobster fishing occurs in the gulf. That fishing area extends from the edge of state waters, about three miles offshore, to about 40 miles from shore.
Some of the closest points in Maine to the wind energy area are the islands of Matinicus, Criehaven and Monhegan: its uppermost section is roughly 40 miles south of them. The closest mainland community is Port Clyde, about 50 miles away.
The oddly-shaped wind zone then extends to the southwest, ending about 23 miles due east of Cape Cod. Its most remote sections are about 90 miles from the mainlands of Maine and Massachusetts.
The selection was applauded by the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, even though the group remains more broadly opposed to any wind power development in the Gulf of Maine. In a statement, the group said that it appreciates that the zone won’t interfere with the lobster fishing grounds, but that it remains “steadfast” in its larger opposition.
“There are still too many unanswered questions about the impacts of offshore wind on the marine environment, commercial fishermen and our fishing heritage,” the association said.
The wind area avoids important grounds for lobstering and North Atlantic right whales, among other fisheries and habitats, federal officials said. The designated area is approximately 43 percent smaller than in a draft plan originally announced last fall.
Federal officials pIan to solicit lease proposals for the designated area from wind power developers, which would count towards President Joe Biden’s goals for deploying 15 gigawatts of floating offshore capacity by 2035.
The area in the Gulf of Maine is intended to eventually generate 32 gigawatts of energy, which would be more than enough to meet the eventual demand for 3 gigawatts in Maine and 10 gigawatts in Massachusetts.
Offshore wind already is being developed elsewhere on the East Coast, though the turbines installed so far are all mounted on the ocean floor. The floating turbines needed in the relatively deep Gulf of Maine are still in development.
On Thursday, New York officials celebrated the completion of the country’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, South Fork Wind off the eastern end of Long Island. It can generate 132 megawatts to power more than 70,000 homes, according to the Associated Press.
Other locations targeted for offshore wind are the 176-turbine Dominion Energy project off of Virginia Beach, and six BOEM-approved lease sites in an area off New York and New Jersey known as the New York Bight.
The new designation in the Gulf of Maine was also welcomed by a coalition of Maine environmental groups and trade unions, which said that it’s good for fishermen, workers and the environment.
“The announcement today sets the stage for a lease auction later this year for what will become some of the nation’s first floating offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Maine,” the coalition said. “Researchers at the University of Maine are leading the development of the innovative floating wind turbine technology required in deep ocean waters.”
Cynthia Phinney, president of the Maine AFL-CIO, said that balancing the need for clean energy development with the preservation of traditional lobster fishing areas was a key part of determining where floating turbines can be anchored in the gulf.
“Offshore wind has the potential to transform our coastal economies with thousands of well-paying union jobs, make Maine more energy independent, and substantially cut our climate pollution, but it’s crucial that these projects are sited properly so that our fishing communities are protected,” Phinney said.
Other advocacy groups that put out statements in support of the Friday decision include the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Maine Audubon, Maine Conservation Voters, Sierra Club Maine, Climate Work Maine, Maine Climate Action Now and Conservation Law Foundation.
