Maine lawmakers will once again consider whether to develop wind port on Sears Island

Signs on the approch road to Sears Island in upper Penobscot Bay opposing the proposed construction of an assembly and maintenance facility for floating wind turbines on the island. July 22, 2024. (Photo by Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star)

Maine lawmakers will once again get the chance to consider whether an undeveloped island in Penobscot Bay should be transformed into a central hub for the state’s budding offshore wind industry. 

The Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee will hold a public hearing Wednesday for two bills that would protect Sears Island from being developed into an offshore wind port. Both are sponsored by Rep. Reagan Paul (R-Winterport), whose district includes the island located in the town of Searsport. 

Last year, Gov. Janet Mills announced that Sears Island is the preferred site for a designated port to support the state’s goals to develop 3,000 megawatts of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine by 2040. Mills said the island was chosen for its economic and environmental opportunities. 

A gust of hope in Searsport with promise of new jobs, economic boost from wind port

Though the state already owns the land, it is protected under the Natural Resources Protection Act, which prohibits new or expanded structures on coastal sand dunes. This prompted the Legislature to pass a bill that authorized the Department of Environmental Protection to grant an exception for the site, allowing permitting for the port to proceed, so long as all other applicable permitting and licensing criteria are met. The proposal drew strong pushback from local conservation and Indigenous groups and initially divided the lawmakers, but eventually prevailed. 

However, one of Paul’s bills, LD 735, wants to roll that back and add guardrails for any future attempts at such legislation. 

The bill also proposes that only lawmakers who represent that district can introduce legislation to develop the island in conflict with federal environmental regulations. It also stipulates that it would need the support of two-thirds of the Legislature for enactment. 

Additionally, the bill would prohibit the state from authorizing any development on Sears Island without first establishing an Indigenous lands protection committee and confirming that any area to be developed isn’t a sacred site to native people in Maine. 

Maulian Bryant, executive director of the Wabanaki Alliance, said the group does not have a united stance on the bill but she said the idea of consultation is a great place to start. Rep. Aaron Dana of the Passamaquoddy Tribe is among the cosponsors of the bill. 

The state’s plan to build an offshore wind port on Sears Island has been met with pushback since it was announced. Proponents see it as a blank canvas that will aid in the state’s transition to clean energy. But opponents have argued against clearing more natural land, instead calling for the redevelopment of nearby Mack Point, which currently houses a terminal owned by Sprague Energy.

An October analysis from the Maine Department of Transportation found that Sears Island and Mack Point are the two best options, but the latter would be more expensive and require dredging, which some have argued would risk contaminating the bay.

In 2009, the state placed two-thirds of Sears Island, about 600 acres, into a permanent easement. The state has planned to leave that portion untouched by the port, which will be built on roughly 100 acres outside of the protected area. 

However, LD 226 seeks to extend that conservation easement to cover more of Sears Island, including a portion that has been reserved for port development by the Maine Department of Transportation.

As Maine has set clean energy and climate goals, developing offshore wind as a power source has been at the crux of meeting those ambitions. The Governor’s Energy Office recently released a technical report showing that while it is possible to meet the state’s goal of 100% clean energy by 2040, wind and solar are key components of meeting increased electrification demands from plug-in cars and heating options.

But Republicans have pushed back with concerns that offshore wind will harm Maine’s fishing industry. They have also said they would like to see the state explore other energy sources such as nuclear and hydropower. 

In January, Paul wrote a letter on behalf of her GOP colleagues to President Donald Trump thanking him for his actions temporarily halting new or renewed offshore wind leases in all areas of the outer continental shelf. The letter also asked him to take it a step further by revoking the existing leases and permits in the Gulf of Maine.