The location of Maine’s planned offshore wind port won’t be chosen until 2024
A major state-led offshore wind project is expected to move forward off the coast of Maine, but the location won’t be chosen until next year, officials said.
First announced in late 2021 by Gov. Janet Mills, the project spearheaded by the Maine Department of Transportation would create a large deepwater port that would serve as a hub for the offshore wind industry in Maine.
The state is considering four potential locations for the port, as well as a possibility of not building it at all. However, those close to the process said the two top contenders are likely Mack Point and Sears Island, both in Searsport.
Information about the long-term plan for the port and considerations of the potential sites has been discussed by the Offshore Wind Port Advisory Group, a 19-member committee including government representatives, conservation groups, local businesses and other statewide organizations. The advisory group has been meeting since March 2022 as a way to keep the public involved in the process. The group’s last meeting is set for mid-June, said Maine DOT spokesperson Paul Merrill.
“Following this meeting, Maine DOT will continue to work on site investigation, conceptual design, environmental, and permitting work, with a preliminary site selection for offshore wind port development anticipated in 2024,” Merrill said.
While the Mills administration had originally identified Mack Point as a spot to invest in renewable energy back in 2020, the focus shifted to Sears Island by 2021 as development there was projected to cost less.
Conservationists still strongly feel the attention should remain on Mack Point. But Sears Island, owned by the state, has been earmarked by the Maine DOT for future development of a cargo port since 2007. When the state took ownership of the island, 600 acres were set aside for conservation while 330 acres were marked for the development. The proposed port would involve clearing 100 acres in the transportation parcel for the main terminal, as well as expanding road access and parking.
The state will make the final determination on where the port will go based both on the cost and on the environmental impact construction would have on the area.
“There are positive points and negative points to both of those locations, and until you see the big picture it’s really not fair to rank one over another,” said Searsport Town Manager James Gillway, who is also co-chair of the advisory group.
A more detailed estimation on costs and job development is expected to be presented at the final meeting, and Gillway said that data will inform which development site he ends up supporting.
But others like Rolf Olsen, vice president of local conservation group Friends of Sears Island and member of the advisory group, are concerned that the state has a predisposition to build on the island. Olsen warned that construction there would have a long term negative impact for residents, tourists and local wildlife.
“It’s gonna be a complete disruption to the experience people have come to expect,” Olsen said.
Loud noise due to construction combined with an increase in traffic along the causeway, the only road out to the island, and cutting down acres of trees could reduce tourism and recreation, Olsen said. According to data compiled by Friends of Sears Island about visitors to the island between 2019 and 2021, there was a consistent increase in tourism there during the pandemic period. That peaked at 34,000 between June and September 2021. However, it’s unclear how that compares to tourism before or after the peak of the pandemic, as data wasn’t collected then.
Mills has stated she sees a future where the state could be a “global leader” in offshore wind energy, which her administration is depending on for its long term goal for all Maine electricity to come from renewable sources by 2040.
Conservationists rallied last year against building the port on Sears Island. While Olsen isn’t opposed to the investment in offshore wind, he and other members of the friends group want it to remain contained at Mack Point, which already serves as a cargo terminal.
Conflict over what should be done with the island has gone on for decades. Numerous development projects have been proposed and abandoned or outright opposed by Searsport residents.
Friends of Sears Island is holding a public meeting on May 20 alongside other conservation groups, to inform more people about what the state’s plans look like so far. Maine DOT is not sending a representative to the meeting but will provide an informational video to be played for members of the public, officials said.