Maine Signs Lease to Build, Operate Floating Offshore Wind Research Array

Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced in August that her state and the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) had agreed on a floating offshore wind research lease in the Gulf of Maine, a key milestone in the state’s efforts to advance floating offshore wind research and promote responsible development of its use.

The agreement followed BOEM’s offer of a research lease to Maine earlier this year.

The site is located in an area that encompasses up to 15 sq. mi. in federal waters nearly 30 mi. southeast of Portland and will one day host the nation’s first floating offshore wind research array.

The facility is set to include up to 12 floating turbines and will inform how floating offshore wind operates and can co-exist with ocean users and ecosystems in the Gulf of Maine, according to a news release from Mills’ office.

As proposed, the research array will use floating offshore wind platform technology designed by the University of Maine (UMaine) and deployed by its development partner, Diamond Offshore Wind. UMaine’s floating platform, known as VolturnUS, had earlier been awarded a $12.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for its innovative design.

The execution of the research lease reflects a priority of the Maine Offshore Wind Roadmap, a stakeholder-driven comprehensive plan that offers detailed strategies for Maine to realize economic, energy and climate benefits from offshore wind, in conjunction with communities, fisheries and wildlife in and around the Gulf of Maine.

“Clean energy from offshore wind offers an historic opportunity for Maine to create good-paying jobs, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and fight climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions,” Mills explained. “This lease between the state and BOEM to support the nation’s first research array devoted to floating offshore wind technology is the result of extensive engagement with stakeholders and communities across our state to establish Maine as a leader in responsible offshore wind, in balance with our state’s marine economy and environment.”

Clean energy such as offshore wind can help reduce Maine’s over-reliance on electricity generated with imported fossil fuels, especially natural gas, which experienced significant price volatility in recent years due to upheaval in global energy markets, according to Mills.

‘Generational Opportunity’ Presents Itself

The governor added that offshore wind also presents “a generational opportunity” to grow and diversify the state’s clean energy workforce and supply chain.

Maine’s clean energy economy grew the fastest in New England in 2022 and currently employs over 15,000 people, more than halfway to Mills’ goal of 30,000 clean energy workers in Maine by 2030.

“Offshore wind technology presents a historic and promising opportunity to further grow our economy, support hardworking Maine people and pave the way for a cleaner, greener tomorrow,” added Maine Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King. “This floating research lease represents a continued investment in innovative offshore wind technology and research, and will help Maine embrace a secure, sustainable energy future, while striking an important balance with the needs of our fisheries and fishing communities.

“For years, the University of Maine has worked to develop a floating offshore wind facility, and this partnership is a tremendous step forward in cementing our state as a renewable energy leader.”

The state applied for the research lease in 2021, following extensive public outreach led by the Governor’s Energy Office and the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) to identify potential research lease areas with minimal possible effects on commercial fishermen, vessel navigation and the marine environment.

That same year, Mills signed bipartisan legislation that found the research array in the public interest and directed the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to negotiate a Power Purchase Agreement for the facility, which is anticipated to produce up to 144 megawatts of clean electricity.

In 2023, the governor signed landmark offshore wind legislation that authorized the state procurement of at least 3,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy installed in the Gulf of Maine by 2040, in addition to creating opportunities for all Maine workers and businesses in the emerging offshore wind industry and protecting critical lobstering areas from development.

Sears Island Selected as Construction Port

Mills announced last February that Sears Island was chosen as the preferred site for a port to construct and service floating offshore wind turbines. The purpose-built port facility will establish Maine’s place in the growing offshore wind industry, become a hub for job creation and economic development, and is welcomed by a strong and diverse coalition of environmental, labor, and economic organizations.

BOEM plans to host a commercial offshore wind lease auction for sites in the Gulf of Maine by the end of 2024, based on a proposed sale notice (PSN) for the Gulf of Maine issued by the agency earlier in the year. The lease areas identified by BOEM in the PSN exclude the entirety of Lobster Management Area 1, as requested by Mills and Maine’s Congressional delegation.

The Gulf of Maine’s research array will support research into priority topics identified by the state’s Offshore Wind Research Consortium, established in 2021 with bipartisan support of the Legislature to explore potential impacts of offshore wind in the waters off Maine.

Prior to its construction, the research array is subject to environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act, approval by BOEM of a research activities plan, and final approval of a Power Purchase Agreement by the PUC.

The construction timeline will become clearer as the permitting and regulatory processes move forward, noted Mills’ office.

State Leaders Turn to Scandinavians for Advice

As part of Maine’s preparation for creating a floating offshore wind industry, Mills and a delegation of other state officials traveled to Norway and Denmark in early October for a weeklong fact-finding mission on how to position the state as a leader in the responsible development and deployment of the clean energy alternative.

The Maine contingent arrived in Copenhagen on Oct. 9 following two productive days in Norway. In Denmark, Mills, and the other state officials — including Wade Merritt, president of the Maine International Trade Center; Dan Burgess, director of the Governor’s Energy Office; and Hannah Pingree, director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future — met with Danish industry and government leaders to discuss Maine’s plans and shared climate goals.

Additionally, the Maine delegation had meetings Oct. 11 with local government leaders, port operators, and business leaders in the seaport city of Esbjerg, Denmark — the world’s largest base port for offshore wind activities — to tour the facility and learn about how the Port of Esbjerg operates.

While there, they also visited a facility that takes advantage of the ideal local wind conditions to test wind turbines.

Later that day, they wrapped up their overseas trip in the town of Give at a Danish offshore wind manufacturing plant to discuss floating offshore wind supply chain logistics.

“Our time in Denmark was productive and informative,” Mills said upon her return. “It provided a valuable opportunity for state officials to meet directly with government officials who value bilateral collaboration and with business and industry leaders who are deeply interested in investing in Maine’s emerging floating offshore wind industry.

“I look forward to using the information and relationships we’ve gained in Norway and Denmark to help our state responsibly harness the tremendous environmental and economic opportunities offered by offshore wind.”