The Maine Department of Transportation is moving ahead with plans for a ferry that is less climate-friendly than some Islesboro residents had hoped.
When the agency began planning in 2022 to replace the 40-year-old ferry that serves Islesboro, it envisioned an electric vessel that would slash emissions while serving the state’s busiest ferry route.
Since then, the agency has scaled back its ambitions over cost concerns.
The MaineDOT’s work plan for this year includes $39 million to replace the ferry and another $33 million to renovate facilities in Islesboro and Lincolnville in order to accommodate the new ferry.
The agency is now recommending a hybrid vessel that primarily relies on diesel and will only use 20% less fuel than the current ferry on the route, the 40-year old M/V Margaret Chase Smith. Some Islesboro residents are disappointed that the agency has missed an opportunity to make deeper emissions cuts even as the need to address climate change is more urgent than ever.
“They came up with what is essentially a Margaret Chase Smith 2.0,” said Island resident Peter Willcox. “It’s just not good enough.”
The low bid for the electric ferry came in at $41.5 million, which was $7 million over budget, according to MaineDOT.
The hybrid vessel will use electric power when loading and unloading, said Brittany Roberts, a MaineDOT spokesperson.
This ferry, which would be smaller than the electric ferry MDOT considered, will cost about $20 million less, because it will be cheaper to build and require less infrastructure at the piers in Islesboro and Lincolnville, Roberts said.
“The design shift was heavily influenced by regulatory, space, and cost constraints that limited the feasibility of full plug‑in operations on this route,” Roberts said.
“I think that’s very short sighted and Maine should not give up so easily,” said Willcox, who is the island’s representative on the state’s Ferry Advisory Board. He said he was sharing his personal views.
The island’s fishermen and aquaculture growers are already being affected by warming oceans and acidification, both of which are linked to climate change, making it urgent to address emissions, Willcox said. And electric ferries are already in use in Europe, he pointed out, with 70 operating in Norway alone as of 2024.
Gabriel Pendleton, manager of the Pendleton Yacht Yard, said he is one of many Islesboro residents who want a ferry that uses the latest clean technology.
“I think what the island expressed was a preference for moving towards an electric ferry,” he said.
He said he is hopeful that there is still time to modify the ferry’s design, since it has not yet been put out to bid.
“I’m hopeful there is going to be an opportunity to continue this discussion,” he said.