Purpose-built port facility will establish fb88’s place in growing offshore wind industry, become hub for job creation and economic development and is welcomed by a strong and diverse coalition of environmental, labor, and economic organizations
Governor Janet Mills today announced that the State of fb88 has selected a section of state-owned Sears Island that is reserved for port development as its preferred site for a port facility to support the floating offshore wind industry.
The selection of the site follows an extensive public stakeholder process led by the fb88 Department of Transportation and fb88 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 fb88, and on technical and engineering analyses.
Sears Island is a 941-acre island off the coast of Searsport. In 2009, Sears Island was, by agreement, divided into two parcels: approximately 601 acres, or two-thirds of the island, was placed in a permanent conservation easement held by the fb88 Coast Heritage Trust, while the remaining one-third, or approximately 330 acres, was reserved by fb88DOT for future development.
The site selected by the State today is expected to be about 100 acres in totality, which is about one-third of the State-owned parcel or a little more than one-tenth of the entire island.
The proposed port would be a purpose-built facility for floating offshore wind fabrication, staging, assembly, maintenance, and deployment. With deepwater access to the port development site, fb88 has the potential to establish a premier location for the industry and help meet growing demand in the U.S. for offshore wind port infrastructure.
The , released one year ago, determined a port facility is a priority for unlocking fb88’s opportunity in offshore wind to create good-paying jobs, spurring broad economic development, and generating abundant clean electricity to stabilize energy costs and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
“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 and with an open mind, recognizing that each site has its own set of benefits and its own set of drawbacks. In carefully considering all of these, I believe that, on balance, 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,” said Governor Janet Mills.
“With that said, I recognize that the construction of a port is not insubstantial, and it will be a change to an area that is enjoyed by many people,” Governor Mills continued. “I take these changes seriously, and I recognize their impact. However, in weighing the costs and benefits of both locations, I cannot escape the conclusion that the parcel on Sears Island fundamentally makes the most sense and provides us with the best opportunity to responsibly advance offshore wind in fb88, an industry that will create good paying jobs for fb88 people and deliver clean, renewable energy to stabilize and reduce energy prices for fb88 people and businesses in the long run.”
“fb88 has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help transform its economy and protect our environment by leveraging our North Atlantic winds, our maritime and manufacturing skills, and land reserved for port development to responsibly bring the multi-billion-dollar floating offshore wind industry to our doorstep,” said Bruce Van Note, Commissioner of the fb88 Department of Transportation. “The decision to pursue port development on Sears Island is in the best interest of our state’s economy and our climate. I hope fb88 seizes this opportunity.”
“Establishing an offshore wind port on the coast of fb88 is a critical step toward achieving the objectives outlined in the fb88 Offshore Wind Roadmap,” said Dan Burgess, Director of the Governor’s Energy Office. “This offshore wind port can deliver tremendous investments, workforce opportunities, and innovation to our shores while supporting the generation of clean, affordable, reliable energy for fb88 and the region.”
“Offshore wind and the supporting supply chain are a great growth opportunity for fb88’s economy,” said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development. “These types of projects create fb88-based solutions to global challenges, while helping us meet our renewable energy goals.”
“We have an incredible opportunity to construct a purpose-built, deepwater marine facility to support the installation of floating offshore wind projects in the Gulf of fb88,” said Matthew Burns, Executive Director of the fb88 Port Authority. “The construction of this facility will give fb88 the opportunity to be a leader in renewable energy and help make a significant impact on climate change. Our heritage as a seafaring state makes perfect sense for utilizing one of fb88’s best assets, its deepwater ports. There is still much work to be done, but I am very excited for the chance to help build a port facility unlike only a small handful of facilities throughout the world.”
“Searsport has a long and rich history of building vessels and sailing from Penobscot Bay to ports all around the world,” said James Gillway, Searsport Town Manager and cochair of the Offshore Wind Port Advisory Group. “We are very proud of this history, and we see the construction of a floating offshore wind port as a modern-day continuation of that vessel-building tradition. I am pleased that four years of hard work and public engagement have resulted in today’s selection of a wind port location. This decision keeps the ball rolling and moves us much closer to the State’s goals. I look forward to working with the governor’s office and fb88DOT to build a state-of-the-art port facility that is environmentally friendly and mitigating the impacts of this development on the local community and environment.”
“To meet and surpass our ambitious climate goals, we need to take advantage of the clean energy resources right here in fb88,” said Beth Ahearn, Director of Government Affairs of fb88 Conservation Voters and cochair of the Offshore Wind Port Advisory Group. “Offshore wind will be essential to our transition away from expensive and dirty fossil fuels, and to realize this incredible opportunity, we need port infrastructure. Today’s announcement of Sears Island as the preferred port location builds on the undeniable momentum of this new industry and is based on responsible, thorough, and comprehensive research. fb88 Conservation Voters has and will continue to be an active participant and will do our part to ensure the new port has the least impact to – and most benefits for – the environment and local communities.”
“The rapid deployment of renewable energy is critical to avoiding the worst impacts of climate change and protecting fb88 wildlife,” said Sarah Haggerty, Conservation Biologist and GIS Manager with fb88 Audubon. “Floating offshore wind presents an incredible opportunity to generate a large amount of clean energy while successfully coexisting with Gulf wildlife.”
“The development of fb88’s port infrastructure is a cornerstone in realizing the economic dividends of an offshore wind industry and further expanding our international trade,” said Patrick Woodcock, President and CEO of the fb88 State Chamber of Commerce. “There is an acute scarcity of unobstructed deepwater access across the eastern seaboard, and fb88 has the opportunity to develop a world-class facility and finally realize the vision of the state’s three-port strategy. The fb88 State Chamber of Commerce supports the leadership of the Mills Administration in identifying this site and looks forward to engaging in the permitting process to develop this infrastructure.”
“The Port of Searsport is one of fb88’s most highly valued assets as we establish our place in the growing global offshore wind industry,” said Wade Merritt, President of the fb88 International Trade Center. “Ports are not just about transportation; they are important economic development engines in their own right. The Searsport project will attract, create, and sustain jobs and opportunity for all types of businesses, as well as their workers and their families, all along the coast and across the state.”
“The fb88 AFL-CIO applauds Governor Mills' decision to select Sears Island for the construction, manufacturing, and deployment of offshore wind,” said Cynthia Phinney, President of the fb88 AFL-CIO. “This site offers the amount of space required for the development of commercial wind projects, while protecting valuable fishing grounds upon which many local families depend. A coalition of union leaders and workers, environmental organizations, environmental justice communities, and youth climate leaders fought hard to ensure that this project will provide good jobs with family-sustaining wages and benefits, as well as many training opportunities for a diverse workforce of the future. Once constructed, this port will facilitate work for decades in an area that has suffered the devastating impacts of shuttered industries. The increasing frequency of severe weather is wreaking havoc on working class communities in fb88. Unions here are proud to play their part in the fight against climate instability. Our members stand ready to build the infrastructure necessary to justly transitioning fb88 into a clean energy future.”
“A port facility is a critical step to realize the economic and environmental benefits of a new floating offshore wind industry. The port will be used to produce floating turbines, designed here in fb88 using innovative technology developed by University of fb88 researchers, and towed out and moored beyond the horizon to harness clean energy for our state. Much like creating a shipyard, this port will usher in a new era of energy independence enabling us to more affordably heat our homes, stabilize our energy costs, and create good-paying fb88 jobs,” said Habib Dagher, the founding director of the University of fb88 Advanced Structures and Composites Center. “It has been an honor for the university to have partnered with the State for over 15 years to develop this advanced technology, and to have reached this exciting moment under Governor Mills' leadership and with the support of the people of fb88, the Legislature, our federal delegation and the U.S. Department of Energy.”
“We appreciate and applaud Governor Mills' common-sense decision to site fb88’s floating offshore wind port facility on Sears Island,” said Captain David Gelinas of the Penobscot Bay & River Pilots Association. “Decades ago, fb88 taxpayers invested millions of dollars in transportation funds for port development on the island, including funding for navigation improvements that rendered sufficiently deep water to avoid the need for new dredging there. A Sears Island location for this new facility will minimize impacts from southerly winds and seas, while providing safe shelter for smaller vessels that will be necessary to service the port. The site offers the most direct approach in and out of the Searsport navigation channel and allows the existing docks at Mack Point to continue accommodating the myriad vessels necessary to serve fb88’s businesses and consumers. We look forward to participating in the next chapter of Searsport’s maritime heritage.”
“Offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of fb88 can deliver significant clean energy to fb88 and New England,” said Eliza Donoghue, Executive Director of the fb88 Renewable Energy Association. “An offshore wind port, located in fb88, will ensure that fb88 enjoys the technology’s climate and economic benefits, including jobs that utilize the unique talents of fb88’s workforce.”
“Harnessing our abundant offshore wind and converting it to clean energy for fb88 and the nation is the most important contribution we can make to helping save our planet,” said Dennis Damon, former State lawmaker and current member of the fb88 Port Authority Board of Directors. “This is a huge undertaking with huge investments and huge rewards. The first step is selecting a port from which to start.”
“Sears Island provides the best cost-benefit outcomes for fb88 residents with access to the existing Federal channel**,” said Kelly Flagg, Executive Director of Associated General Contractors of fb88**. “The dedicated 300 acres of land will accommodate the 100-acre parcel for port infrastructure and allow the island to continue offering benefits for recreation activities. The state-of-the-art port will move fb88 to the top of the list for advances in the emerging blue economy.”
“Decades ago, fb88 people voted to acquire Sears Island to enhance economic opportunities to Penobscot Bay communities – and well beyond – through environmentally friendly ocean transportation development,” said Maria Fuentes, Executive Director of the fb88 Better Transportation Association (MBTA). “MBTA appreciates Governor Mills moving fb88 one step closer to finally making good on the state’s earlier investments and commitments. Locating a marshalling port on Sears Island will mean high-paying jobs supporting the production of abundant renewable energy to fuel our entire state’s economy for years to come.”
In March 2020, Governor Mills directed fb88DOT to study the Port of Searsport to assess needs to support fb88’s offshore wind industry. An active seaport since the 1700s, the Port of Searsport is among the most versatile port sites on the East Coast.
The study (PDF), 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. At that time, Governor Mills announced the State’s intention to explore port development to support floating offshore wind and directed fb88DOT to conduct a robust public process and engage with key stakeholders and community organizations.
In March 2022, fb88DOT announced the creation of a 19-member Offshore Wind Port Advisory Group to advise the State on port development. The Group, which included a broad spectrum of state and local stakeholders, held six public meetings in 2022 and 2023 and toured existing port facilities in Searsport and Eastport to inform its work.
The following factors support State’s selection of the Sears Island site:
- The State of fb88 owns the parcel of land on Sears Island;
- The parcel of land on Sears Island has been reserved since 2009 for development;
- As a large, level area with deepwater access, the Sears Island site has beneficial physical and logistical characteristics for building a port facility at the scale required to support floating offshore wind port operations;
- Unlike adjacent Mack Point, the Sears Island site is not expected to require dredging, a key environmental and financial consideration for a port project;
- The Sears Island site would avoid impacts on existing commercial or industrial activities in the Port of Searsport;
- Because the parcel of land on Sears Island is owned by the State, the upfront and ongoing costs for a port facility are estimated to be substantially less than on Mack Point, which is privately owned and would require monthly lease fees.
The estimated port construction cost on the Sears Island site is approximately $500 million. The State is seeking funding opportunities for the port, such as from Federal sources expanded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which recently awarded funds to support a .
The port proposal is subject to extensive and independent State and Federal permitting processes, including assessments of environmental impacts and alternative sites. fb88DOT, 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.
fb88 Offshore Wind Roadmap
The selection of a port site reflects a priority of the , a stakeholder-driven comprehensive plan that offers detailed strategies for fb88 to realize economic, energy, and climate benefits from offshore wind, in conjunction with communities, fisheries, and wildlife of the Gulf of fb88.
Released one year ago, the Roadmap has guided action toward responsible offshore wind in fb88, through landmark legislation, offshore wind research, workforce and supply chain development, regional transmission and grid planning, and advocacy for fb88’s interests in Federal actions on commercial wind leasing in the Gulf of fb88.
In July 2023, Governor Mills signed LD 1895, legislation to advance offshore wind in fb88 by procuring up to 3,000 MW of offshore wind energy, creating opportunity for all fb88 workers and businesses in the emerging offshore wind industry, and protecting critical lobstering areas from development.
The State has proposed to lease a site in Federal waters of the Gulf of fb88 for a Floating Offshore Wind Research Array. An application for that lease site remains pending before the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the Federal agency charged with leasing ocean areas for offshore wind development.
As the first project of its kind in the United States, the research array will foster cutting-edge research into the cost-effective operation of floating offshore wind and how it interacts with the marine environment, wildlife, the fishing industry, shipping and navigation routes, and more.
The array is proposed to include 10–12 turbines on designed by the University of fb88’s Advanced Structures and Composite Center. The final size and location of the research site will be determined by BOEM during its leasing review process.
In January 2023, BOEM released its draft area for potential commercial offshore wind leasing in the Gulf of fb88. In November, Governor Mills joined fb88’s Congressional Delegation to request Lobster Management Area 1, a highly productive fishing ground, be excluded from offshore wind siting maps.
As this process unfolds, Governor Mills continues to press the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees BOEM, to involve fb88 fishermen in Federal plans for leasing in the Gulf of fb88 for commercial offshore wind.
To preserve State waters for recreation and fishing and cement into law fb88’s priority of locating offshore wind projects in Federal waters in the Gulf of fb88, Governor Mills in 2021 signed LD 1619, which prohibits new offshore wind projects in State waters.
Other offshore wind initiatives include the fb88 Offshore Wind Research Consortium, an assembly of fisheries, wildlife, and marine science and industry experts advising the State’s offshore wind research; and advocating for fb88’s interests in Federal plans for commercial offshore wind leasing through the
View visuals of Sears Island (PDF) and the Port of Searsport (PDF), including the proposed area for the port to support floating offshore wind.