PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 23, 2023
Rep. Jared Golden has introduced legislation in Congress that would prevent offshore wind development in Lobster Management Area 1, which is the zone closest to the shore and stretches along the entire coast. There are currently a variety of plans across the state to create both public and private offshore wind farms. The Governor’s Energy Office wants to lease a site 45 miles from Portland in the Gulf of Maine to create the nation’s first floating offshore wind research site. A developer also is working with University of Maine researchers to build a commercial-size floating wind turbine off the coast of Maine. While Gov. Janet Mills is back and forth on what she is backing, Golden is hesitant to throw his full support behind offshore wind energy development.