Maine Governor Janet Mills has announced that the state has selected a section of state-owned Sears Island reserved for port development as its preferred site for a port facility to support the floating offshore wind industry.
The selection of the site follows an extensive public stakeholder process led by the Maine Department of Transportation and Maine Port Authority to consider the State’s primary port development options.
This included multiple potential sites in the Port of Searsport, the Port of Eastport, and the Port of Portland.
The State concluded that the Sears Island parcel is the most feasible port development site in terms of location, logistics, cost, and environmental impact.
This was based on input from port and offshore wind stakeholders, including the University of Maine, and on technical and engineering analyses.
Sears Island is a 941-acre island off the coast of Searsport.
In 2009, Sears Island was, by agreement, divided into two parcels with one-third, or approximately 330 acres, reserved by MaineDOT for future development.
The site selected by the state today is expected to be about 100 acres in totality, which is about one-third of the state-owned parcel or a little more than one-tenth of the entire island.
The proposed port would be a purpose-built facility for floating offshore wind fabrication, staging, assembly, maintenance, and deployment.
With deepwater access to the port development site, Maine has the potential to establish a premier location for the industry and help meet growing demand in the US for offshore wind port infrastructure, according to the state.
Governor Mills said: “This was not an easy decision, nor is it one that I made lightly.
“For more than two years, my Administration has evaluated Sears Island and Mack Point thoroughly and with an open mind, recognising that each site has its own set of benefits and its own set of drawbacks.
“In carefully considering all of these, I believe that, on balance, Sears Island is the best choice for an offshore wind port because it is already owned by the state, designated for the purpose of port development, will cost less in the short-term and long-term, and is expected to result in less environmental harm.”
“With that said, I recognize that the construction of a port is not insubstantial, and it will be a change to an area that is enjoyed by many people.
“I take these changes seriously, and I recognise their impact.
“However, in weighing the costs and benefits of both locations, I cannot escape the conclusion that the parcel on Sears Island fundamentally makes the most sense and provides us with the best opportunity to responsibly advance offshore wind in Maine, an industry that will create good paying jobs for Maine people and deliver clean, renewable energy to stabilise and reduce energy prices for Maine people and businesses in the long run.”