Maine Gets First Floating Offshore Wind Power Lease

PORTLAND, Maine — In a significant step towards renewable energy, the federal government has issued the nation’s first floating offshore wind research lease to Maine, covering approximately 23 square miles in federal waters. This lease, requested by the state from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, will facilitate a research array featuring up to a dozen turbines capable of generating 144 megawatts of renewable energy, located nearly 30 miles southeast of Portland. The project will utilize floating wind platforms designed by the University of Maine and deployed by Diamond Offshore Wind, although construction is not expected to commence for several years. Maine's Democratic Governor Janet Mills emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating that it represents a historic opportunity for the state to create jobs, reduce fossil fuel dependency, and combat climate change by lowering greenhouse gas emissions. The state aims to procure enough energy from offshore wind to meet half of its electric load by 2040, following a bill signed by Mills last year. Researchers envision towering turbine platforms, over 700 feet high, anchored in the ocean, which will allow for extensive evaluation of the compatibility of floating offshore wind technology with local ecosystems. The federal lease granted is larger than Maine's original request, which was about 15 square miles. Floating turbines are crucial for states like Maine to harness offshore wind energy on a large scale, potentially powering up to 350 million homes—more than double the current number of homes in the U.S. President Biden has prioritized offshore wind as a key element in his climate change strategy, with the Department of the Interior approving nine commercial-scale offshore wind projects since he took office, collectively capable of powering nearly 5 million homes.