PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 19, 2024
State and federal officials finalized an agreement Monday for an offshore wind research lease in the Gulf of Maine. The 15-square-mile wind array will include up to a dozen turbines floating nearly 30 miles southeast of Portland, and it is designed to test how ocean ecosystems and users – like shipping and fishing vessels – interact with floating wind farms. The Mills administration announced in February that it hopes to construct a port on Sears Island to construct and service the turbines. Eliza Donohue, executive director of the Maine Renewable Energy Association, said the site will “guide industry best practices” while creating opportunities for local businesses to engage with the renewable energy industry.