Dear Conservation Voter,

As 2023 comes to a close, we’re reflecting on some of the biggest wins of the year. This includes the progress we made on moving offshore wind forward in Maine.

We’re excited to share our new video with you that tells the story of this success. It features policymakers, scientists, and advocates who pushed Maine’s new offshore wind law over the finish line this year – and their takes on why this new industry is so important for Maine’s future.

Watch the video below or by clicking here. [[link removed]]

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Our key takeaways? As we gear up for a new year and the next legislative session, here are a few of the reasons we’re excited about the momentum behind offshore wind:
1. Offshore wind is the best way to combat climate change and mitigate its impacts on the environment and wildlife. The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the world’s oceans [1], but the winds in the Gulf of Maine are strong enough to heat every home and power every car in the state [2] – presenting a huge opportunity to combat the climate crisis.
2. The recently passed offshore wind law ensures responsible and equitable development of this new industry. LD 1895 [3] – the law to jumpstart the offshore wind industry with strong standards for the environment, labor, our heritage fishing industries, and equity – calls for 3 GW of offshore wind installed by 2040 (enough to power 750,000 homes [4]) and incentivizes developers to avoid one of Maine’s most important lobster fishing grounds, Lobster Management Area 1 (LMA1). In light of this, the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is currently weighing eliminating this area from consideration entirely.
3. The impacts of offshore wind are being continuously studied so the industry can move forward in the most responsible way possible. Governor Mills and the Legislature established the Offshore Wind Research Consortium [5] to continue to study and mitigate the potential impacts of offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine. Floating offshore wind, the technology coming to the Gulf of Maine due to the deeper waters, minimizes acoustic impacts to fish and wildlife because developers won’t need to pile drive fixed-bottom turbines into the seafloor.
4. Because of LD 1895, an offshore wind port in Maine will be built with high standards for labor and the environment, creating a source of family-sustaining and union clean energy jobs using technology developed right here at the University of Maine. The clean energy transition is happening now – and Maine’s new offshore wind law will make sure that transition is fair and just.

What excites YOU about offshore wind? This week, we'll be sharing a series of clips from this video on social media – share your favorite along with your key takeaways! Follow along with us on Instagram [[link removed]] and Facebook. [[link removed]]

Kelt Wilska | he/him
Energy Justice Manager
Maine Conservation Voters
[email protected] [[email protected]]

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Maine Conservation Voters
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