Maine’s Offshore Wind Roadmap, a plan for the development of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine that provides jobs and clean energy to Mainers, was released by the state in February. Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca is a member of the Roadmap’s Environment and Wildlife Working Group and helped craft the environmental recommendations. She advocated to ensure that environmental and fisheries concerns remained front and center.
Offshore wind farms will not develop in state waters (which extend three miles from the shore), as Maine passed a law in 2022 banning them to protect fisheries. However, Maine cannot ban offshore wind development in federal waters.
“We commend the state for its strong emphasis on protecting the environment and fisheries in the final Roadmap,” says Ivy. “There are commercial energy companies interested in developing wind farms in the Gulf of Maine. We hope this Roadmap helps make sure they do so responsibly and with respect for other marine uses. We support transitions to clean energy in ways that ensure as little harm as possible to the marine world.”
Moving forward, we hope the state remains committed to the many actions described in the Roadmap. The ongoing engagement of all stakeholders identified in the plan, including environmental and fisheries representatives, and members of coastal Maine and tribal communities, is critical. It is only possible to reach the best solutions when all voices are heard and we work together.
To learn more about the Roadmap, you can read the plan yourself, here.
