MAINE PUBLIC • March 15, 2024
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has identified the area in the Gulf of Maine that can be developed for offshore wind. The area covers 2 million acres offshore from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, ranging anywhere from 23 to 92 miles off the coast, BOEM said Friday. Virginia Olsen of the Maine Lobstering Union said she's pleased that federal officials avoided most of Lobster Management Area 1, one of the most popular fishing regions, and two out of three additional areas that had been eyed as potential spots for development but were opposed by fishermen. BOEM said it will begin to prepare an environmental assessment about the impacts of offshore wind development in the area.