Maine

Maine Selects Preferred Site for Port to Support Offshore Wind Industry

Published

11 months ago

February 20, 2024

Maine Selects Preferred Site for Port to Support Offshore Wind Industry

The State of Maine has selected a section of state-owned Sears Island, north of the city of Portland and located in Penobscot Bay as its preferred site for a port facility to support the offshore wind industry. The site would be about 100 acres in total, which is about one-third of the state-owned parcel or a little more than one-tenth of the entire island, with Governor Janet Mills saying that she believes it is the best spot to support the emerging industry.

The selection of the site followed an extensive review process led by the Maine Department of Transportation and Maine Port Authority to consider the state’s primary port development options, including multiple potential sites in the Port of Searsport, the Port of Eastport, and the Port of Portland. The state concluded that the Sears Island parcel is the most feasible port development site in terms of location, logistics, cost, and environmental impact based on input from port and offshore wind stakeholders, including the University of Maine, and technical and engineering analyses.

“This was not an easy decision, nor is it one that I made lightly. For more than two years, my administration has evaluated Sears Island and Mack Point thoroughly…,” said Governor Janet Mills. “Sears Island is the best choice for an offshore wind port because it is already owned by the state, designated for the purpose of port development, will cost less in the short-term and long-term, and is expected to result in less environmental harm.”

Sears Island is a 941-acre island off the coast of Searsport. In 2009, Sears Island was, by agreement, divided into two parcels, with approximately 600 acres, or two-thirds of the island, placed in a permanent conservation easement held by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. The remaining one-third, or approximately 330 acres, was reserved by MaineDOT for future development.

The proposed port would be a purpose-built facility for floating offshore wind fabrication, staging, assembly, maintenance, and deployment. The governor cited that in addition to the state owning the land, it has the deepwater access necessary for a port facility. Unlike other possible locations, they do not expect it would require dredging. The estimated port construction cost on the Sears Island site is approximately $500 million.

Maine released its Offshore Wind Roadmap a year ago, citing the importance of developing the port facility. It builds on a 2020 study in which the governor directed MaineDOT to study the port needs to support Maine’s offshore wind industry. The study, delivered in November 2021, evaluated various locations in the Port of Searsport for an offshore wind port, including Mack Point and an area of state-owned Sears Island.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is moving forward with the review process for the offshore sites and a year ago released its draft area for potential commercial offshore wind leasing in the Gulf of Maine. The area is expected to be one of the later to be developed because the geography requires the use of floating wind turbines.

The port proposal is subject to extensive and independent State and Federal permitting processes, including assessments of environmental impacts and alternative sites. MaineDOT, on behalf of the State, intends to apply for permits later this year, which will also include additional opportunities for stakeholder and public input on the project.

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Related Topics:Featured Maine offshore port sears selection site wind

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Maine

Mainers asked to report rabbit sightings to help protect endangered New England cottontail

Published

1 hour ago

January 2, 2025

Press Room

Mainers, if you see a rabbit that might be a New England cottontail or an Eastern cottontail (a non-native species that resembles NEC), Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife wants to hear about it.

The New England cottontail (NEC) is Maine’s only native true rabbit, and was once common in southern Maine. However, NEC populations have declined dramatically in Maine and across their entire range due to habitat loss, according to MDIFW, in a news release. Today, NEC are known to occur in just 7 towns: Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Wells, York, Kittery, Eliot, and Kennebunk; with a statewide population of less than 400 individuals.

“MDIFW is working with partners to restore Maine’s NEC, but we need more eyes in southern and coastal Maine!” said the release.

MDIFW will conduct surveys in the vicinity of credible NEC sightings to search for currently unknown populations.

“Any new confirmations of the species will greatly enhance our restoration effort by allowing us to protect the population and provide additional opportunities for us to conduct habitat management that will ultimately increase Maine’s NEC population,” said MDIFW.

Please take a photo to submit when possible, take note of the following, and report your sighting online:

Date
Time
Location/Town
Habitat Description
Identifying Characteristics- Please do not report known snowshoe hares. Did you observe any features that support identification as an NEC? Find identification tips below.

New England cottontails at a glance

New England cottontails are medium-sized rabbits (14-17 inches long) and weigh in at 1-2.5 pounds. They have dark brown fur with a wash of black-tipped fur, a black edge to their ears. They also have a black spot between their ears though this characteristic is typically not visible from a distance.

Hares are white in winter, but rabbits are brown year-round

It can be surprisingly tricky to distinguish NEC and snowshoe hares during most of the year but identification becomes much simpler in winter! The snowshoe hare goes through a costume change for the snowy months, turning white while NEC retain a brown coat all year. We only need reports of potential NEC so this winter remember to write it down if it’s brown and just enjoy the sight if its white!

Non-native look-alikes

Until recently, Maine was the only state in the northeast that did not have eastern cottontails, a non-native rabbit which is nearly indistinguishable from the NEC. Reporting all brown rabbits in winter not only helps locate new undocumented populations of NEC, it also may help identify areas of eastern cottontail expansion which pose a threat to the recovery of Maine’s only native rabbit.

Click here for more information.

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Maine

Maine home sales increased in November

Published

9 hours ago

January 2, 2025

Press Room

MAINE (WABI) – The Maine real estate market is beginning to see a shift to a more balanced market.

Maine Listings reported about a 6.8% increase in sales of single-family existing homes during the month of November compared to November 2023.

The median sales price reached $385,000, an increase of about 8.5%.

In November, the national price also rose and is now at nearly $411,000.

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Maine

Here are the 1st babies of 2025

Published

17 hours ago

January 1, 2025

Press Room

In Maine, several hospitals traditionally report their first births of the year. We will post them here as they are announced.

Michael Nathan Maiato, 7 pounds 12 ounces, was born at 2:55 a.m. Wednesday at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Portland to parents Paige and Joe Maiato of Kennebunk.

“We are overjoyed with the newest addition to our family,” Joe Maiato said. “What a way to ring in the new year!”

The Maiaitos said they were excited for Michael to meet his 2-year-old brother, Theo.

Myles Hudson Livingood, 6 pounds 10 ounces, was born at 7:05 a.m. Wednesday at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor to parents Emily Foss Andrews and Michael Livingood of Bangor.

Kolton Robert, 8 pounds 4.9 ounces, was born at 7:27 a.m. Wednesday at Northern Light Mercy Hospital in Portland to parents Mariah Rouille and Robert Desrosier of South Paris.

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