Maine’s plan to build an offshore wind port on an undeveloped island is facing pushback from some environmental groups, exemplifying the trade-offs and land use conflicts embedded in the clean energy transition.
Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced this year that Sears Island was the “preferred” location for a port to support future floating offshore wind farms. A slew of environmental groups that want to see offshore wind rapidly take off have supported — or at least do not oppose — the preliminary decision.
But the Alliance for Sears Island, a coalition of small Maine-based groups, and the Maryland-based nonprofit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) are pushing back. Both the alliance and PEER said that the plans for a port would harm wetlands and other natural resources — and that legal action could be on the table if the state plows ahead.