Lawmakers on the Environment and Natural Resources Committee have voted 10-2 against supporting a measure to conserve Sears Island entirely.
The bill, from Rep. Reagan Paul, R-Winterport, would extend a conservation easement that covers three quarters of the state-owned island onto the remaining parcel, set aside for commercial development under a 2009 agreement.
But a majority of lawmakers said the bill would eliminate any future possibility for the state to build a port or other industrial facility on the island in Searsport.
"If we turn off the opportunity here we close a lot of doors and I'm just not there yet," said Sen. Stacy Brenner, D-Scarborough.
Plans to develop a port at Sears Island have been proposed for decades, prompting fierce contest to preserve the land.
The latest concept, a specialized facility to support a nascent offshore wind power industry in Maine was launched by Governor Janet Mills last year. But the proposal failed to receive the substantial federal funding needed to advance.
Matt Burns, the transportation department's head of ports and freight, told lawmakers that without funding, the agency does not intend to pursue permits for the development.
The conservation bill attracted support from opponents of offshore wind power. But many advocates told legislators during a public hearing that they were in favor of renewable energy but preferred the state focus on building a port at the nearby Mack Point terminal owned by Sprague Energy.
The bill now goes to the full legislature with an ought not to pass recommendation from the committee.
