MAINE PUBLIC • August 30, 2023
A coalition of a dozen Maine environmental and labor organizations is urging Gov. Janet Mills to improve collaboration with the Wabanaki Nations on green power projects. In a letter to Mills, the groups say they fully support her goal of transitioning the state to 100% renewable energy by 2040, but want the administration to more fully collaborate with tribal representatives on the big developments that will be needed to achieve that goal. The letter cites the lack of meaningful tribal representation on the Maine Offshore Wind Port Advisory group. And it notes the concerns that tribal leaders have raised about the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which they say has not sufficiently consulted with them about offshore wind scoping and permitting. The letter is signed by representatives of Maine's largest environmental groups, and the Maine AFL-CIO and other labor organizations.