Maine

Federal government grants first floating offshore wind power research lease to Maine

Published

2 years ago

August 19, 2024

Federal government grants first floating offshore wind power research lease to Maine

PORTLAND, Maine — The federal government issued on Monday the nation’s first floating offshore wind research lease to the state of Maine, comprising about 23 square miles (60 square kilometers) in federal waters.

The state requested the lease from the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for a floating offshore wind research array with up to a dozen turbines capable of generating up to 144 megawatts of renewable energy in waters nearly 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Portland, Maine.

The research array will use floating offshore wind platforms designed by the University of Maine and deployed by partner Diamond Offshore Wind. But construction is not likely for several years.

The research is key to growing the ocean wind energy industry in Maine.

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill last year that aims to see Maine procure enough energy from offshore wind turbines to power about half its electric load by 2040, and the state has selected a site to build, stage and deploy the turbine equipment. In the next decade, University of Maine researchers envision turbine platforms floating in the ocean beyond the horizon, stretching more than 700 feet (210 meters) skyward and anchored with mooring lines.

“Clean energy from offshore wind offers an historic opportunity for Maine to create good-paying jobs, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and fight climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions,” Mills said.

The state requested the lease in 2021. The roughly 23 square miles (60 square kilometers) in the federal lease is larger than the state’s request of about 15 square miles (39 square kilometers). It will allow the state, the fishing community, oceanography experts and the offshore wind industry to thoroughly evaluate the compatibility of floating offshore wind.

Floating turbines are the only way some states can capture offshore wind energy on a large scale. In the U.S. alone, 2.8 terawatts of wind energy potential blows over ocean waters too deep for traditional turbines that affix to the ocean floor, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. That’s enough to power 350 million homes — more than double the number of existing homes in the U.S.

President Joe Biden has made offshore wind a key part of his plans for fighting climate change.

Since the start of his administration, the Department of the Interior has approved the nation’s first nine commercial scale offshore wind projects with a combined capacity of more than 13 gigawatts of clean energy — enough to power nearly 5 million homes.

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Maine

Proposed Amazon distribution hub draws crowd in Waterville

Published

3 hours ago

April 1, 2026

Press Room

Proposed Amazon distribution hub draws crowd in Waterville

WATERVILLE — Dozens of Waterville and Sidney residents grilled Amazon representatives Tuesday night on the company’s plan to build a distribution center in central Maine.

Camber Development, a Boston-based company, is in the early stages of applying for the permits needed to build a 159,000 square foot building on about 50 acres on Junction Road near Trafton Road.

The parcel is in both the city of Waterville and the town of Sidney and is close to an I-95 offramp.

Adam Cote, a Maine based attorney who works for Amazon, said the Waterville/Sidney project, along with those in Calais, Hermon and Gorham, are designed to help the company better serve customers.

“These projects are basically to try to speed up delivery of packages to people in Maine,” he said.

The “last mile” distribution center will accept deliveries from tractor-trailers coming off I-95 — mostly from Massachusetts and Connecticut — and then allow vans to pick up the items for customer delivery.

The Waterville/Sidney location will add an estimated 150 to 200 jobs to the region and will generate about 1,000 trips per day, developers and engineers said Tuesday.

The vacant land on Junction Road near Trafton Road is the proposed site for a new Amazon distribution center in Waterville and Sidney. (Spectrum News/Susan Cover)

But locals gathered at the city hall annex raised questions about increased traffic, noise, pollution, and the impact the center could have on local businesses.

They also asked about whether drones will be used — developers said that’s not in the plan — and whether a data center could be built on the site.

The developers said the plans as drafted don’t leave enough room for a data center, which is a large building with computer servers that will be needed to power AI and other information technology advances.

They also emphasized that the Waterville/Sidney project is in the early stages and that the public will have opportunities to weigh in at local planning board, Department of Transportation and other meetings.

Sidney resident Tim Stonesifer said he came to the Tuesday meeting in hopes of getting information and to connect with neighbors about the project.

“What I heard today was a lot of concern related to traffic,” he said. “How much the volume of traffic that’s going to be coming in and out, the sound that’s related to that, how that’s going to affect neighbors and water effects.”

Tim Stonesifer of Sidney says he has many questions about the proposed Amazon distribution center. (Spectrum News/Susan Cover)

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Maine

Maine business leaders speak out against data privacy bill

Published

15 hours ago

March 31, 2026

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Maine business leaders speak out against data privacy bill

PORTLAND (WGME) — Business leaders gathered in Portland Tuesday to speak out against a data privacy bill in Augusta.

If passed, the bill would protect Mainers’ online data from being bought and sold to bigger companies like Meta and Google by establishing strict standards for data collection and giving consumers the right to legal action.

But some business leaders say there could be a big downside: blocking businesses from reaching potential customers.

“It’s been stated that the legislation before us does not end targeted advertising. No, it evaporates the data targeted advertising relies upon,” Maine State Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Patrick Woodcock said.

The data privacy bill passed both the House and the Senate last week, although the vote was very close in the Senate.

It now faces additional votes before possibly going to the governor’s desk.

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Maine

Hermon man accused of assaulting and threatening Bangor woman with a gun

Published

1 day ago

March 31, 2026

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Hermon man accused of assaulting and threatening Bangor woman with a gun

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TTY 1-800-437-1220. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.

A Hermon man allegedly assaulted a Bangor woman and threatened her with a gun.

Garrett Foss, 31, has been charged with domestic violence aggravated assault, domestic violence criminal threatening with priors and with a dangerous weapon, criminal restraint, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and violating his conditions of release, according to Katy England, a spokesperson for the Bangor Police Department.

Foss allegedly violently assaulted the woman at a Broad Street residence Sunday night and threatened her with a gun, England said.

He was taken to the Penobscot County Jail, where he remained Tuesday morning, according to the jail’s website.

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