US
Lawmakers have now approved a bill paving the way for deep-water development
off the coast of Maine. The snappily titled "Act
Regarding the Procurement of Energy from Offshore Wind Resources"was
approved by the full state Legislature
and can now be put before Governor
Janet Mills who has previously vetoed
the Bill.
President Biden's administration
has set according to them a bold
goal of deploying
30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030, however the area under consideration
off the Maine coast is in deeper water. Deep-water areas usually require
floating platforms, but given deep water areas are home to two-thirds of
America’s offshore wind energy potential, including along the West Coast
and in the Gulf of Maine the Biden
administration recognises the need to rapidly develop the technology to
reduce costs so to support the industry moving forweard, the
Administration will create a new Floating Offshore Wind Shot to accelerate
breakthroughs across engineering, manufacturing, and other innovation areas.
The Floating Offshore Wind Shot will aim to reduce the costs of floating
technologies by more than 70% by 2035, to $45 per megawatt-hour with the
aim to advance lease areas in deep waters in order to deploy 15 GW of floating
offshore wind capacity by 2035.
Support for the bill passing
has been recived from Maine
Audubon; Maine Labor Climate Council; Natural Resources Council of Maine;
Union of Concerned Scientists; Maine Audubon | Maine Labor Climate
Council | Natural Resources Council of Maine | Union of Concerned Scientists
| Maine Conservation Voters | Maine Climate Action Now | Iron Workers Local
7 | Laborers’ International Union Local 327 | Sierra Club Maine | Maine
State Building and Construction Trades Council
;
Maine Climate Action Now; Iron Workers Local 7; Laborers’ International
Union Local 327; Sierra Club Maine; Maine State Building and Construction
Trades Council
Through the Maine
Conservation Voters
website they issued a joint statement applauding the bill stating "The
opportunity presented by responsible offshore wind development has brought
together a winning coalition of labor and environmental groups. The Mills
Administration has
indicated that the Governor will sign the bill,
which will allow Maine to take advantage of the billions of dollars in
private sector investment that would flow into the state’s ports, communities,
and workforce.
Offshore
wind development in Maine has garnered national interest
as advocates seek to balance industry development with the state’s maritime
heritage and existing marine uses to ensure the sustainable preservation
of the natural resources in the Gulf of Maine. The coalition and stakeholders
see LD 1895 as a national model for the clean energy transition and are
highlighting the long-term job creation and economic development, supply
chain and port infrastructure investment, and the opportunity to meet the
state’s ambitious clean energy and climate change goals."
Bill
sponsor
Sen. Mark Lawrence stated "To combat climate change and invest in
Maine’s energy independence, our state has set ambitious but necessary
goals for renewable energy. It’s clear that this effort will involve offshore
wind energy projects. If we know this is coming, we need to have guardrails
in place to make sure this is done right and truly benefits Mainers,”
adding “I’m grateful to my fellow legislators for supporting this
bill. LD 1895 represents a detailed path to smart offshore wind development.”
Further
comments:
“Maine
is well positioned to be a leader in renewable energy and offshore wind.
This bill will make sure that Maine’s workers, ratepayers, and economy
get the best benefit possible,” said Sen. Chip Curry, D-Belfast. “I’m
proud of all the careful consideration that went into shaping this legislation,
and I’m eager to see it become law.”
“Maine’s
clean energy future and our clean energy economy secured a major victory
today,” said Kelt Wilska, Energy Justice Manager at Maine Conservation
Voters. “When this bill is implemented, we’ll set a national example
for how to responsibly develop a new, affordable energy source, grow good-paying
jobs for our workers, and do so without compromising Maine values. We’re
ready to get to work and launch this new industry.”
“This
commitment to building an offshore wind industry for Maine shows that by
working together we can do big things for our climate, economy and communities,”
said Jack Shapiro, Climate & Clean Energy Director at the Natural
Resources Council of Maine. “Legislators and Governor Mills are moving
us decisively towards a clean energy future that will bring thousands of
family-supporting jobs, protect the rich array of wildlife in the Gulf
of Maine, avoid conflicts with important fishing grounds, and put us on
a path to meet a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2040.”
“Today,
Maine’s lawmakers took a serious and measurable step toward accelerating
our clean energy transition and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels,”
said Eliza Donoghue, Maine Audubon’s Director of Advocacy. “This
legislation is necessary to help ensure that appropriately sited and operated
offshore wind development safely co-exists with Gulf of Maine wildlife
and the marine habitats they rely on.”
“Today
we have seen what collaboration and good faith negotiation can bring to
the people of Maine. This bill passing, once signed, can launch a new renewable
energy industry in Maine. We look forward to strong community engagement
as the impacts and benefits of offshore wind roll out,” said Amy
Eshoo, Director of Maine Climate Action Now.
“The
Legislature has taken a major step forward in helping Maine tap into its
immense offshore wind potential that will be critical for achieving the
state’s climate and clean energy goals. The bill is a powerful piece of
policy that will create high-quality jobs in a rapidly growing industry
while establishing important safeguards for the environment, fishing industry,
tribes, and local communities,” said Steve Clemmer, the Union of
Concerned Scientists’ Director of Energy Research and Analysis. “As
the bill moves to Governor Mills’ desk, we look forward to her timely
signing and subsequent collaboration to ensure prompt and fair implementation.”
“With
a bang of the gavel, the legislature sent one simple but powerful message
to working Mainers; and that was: ‘You matter and we need you'” said Jason
J. Shedlock, President of the Maine State Building & Construction Trades
Council and an officer with Local 327 of the Laborers’ International Union. “We’re
confident that Governor Mills agrees and will underline that statement
with the stroke of her pen in the coming days. We also know there’s little
time to celebrate, as building this industry will take a sustained, all-hands-on-deck
approach. And much like virtually every major construction project in Maine’s
history, a vast majority of those hands will have one thing in common:
when they reach into their back pockets, they’ll find a union card that
doubles as their passport to a middle-class career with dignity.”
