PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 13, 2023
A legislative committee endorsed a bill Wednesday that would lay the groundwork for developing offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine, with votes expected soon in the House and Senate. The bill sponsored by Sen. Mark Lawrence, D-York, would set up a schedule for Maine to procure 3 gigawatts of electricity from offshore wind turbines by 2040, an amount that could power nearly 900,000 homes. According to Jack Shapiro, climate and clean energy director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, the legislation’s proposed path is one that has been carved responsibly and sustainably with environmental protections in mind. Still, some opponents feel offshore wind development will pose a threat to the dwindling North Atlantic right whale population and ecosystems on which the fishing and lobstering industries depend.