The developer of Maine’s first offshore wind array has paused the project amid the Trump administration’s backlash against the industry.
Pine Tree Offshore Wind asked to suspend negotiations with state regulators on a deal to sell power from its planned 12-turbine floating development in the Gulf of Maine.
The company requested the pause "due to recent shifts in the energy landscape that have in particular caused uncertainty in the offshore wind industry," the Maine Public Utilities Commission said in a March 28 filing.
Pine Tree Offshore Wind and state parties were under a March 31 deadline to propose a final contract to sell power from the proposed array to Maine's electric utilities. The confidential negotiations started three years ago.
That long-term contract would let the developer finance the development, said Jack Shapiro, climate and clean energy director at the Natural Resources Council of Maine.
"So the project really is sort of waiting to substantially move forward until that contract can be finalized," Shapiro said.
The planned development would be located about 30 miles off the coast on a special federal lease in the Gulf of Maine. Floating turbines designed at the University of Maine would have the capacity to generate 144 megawatts of power.
The project is part of the state's plans for large-scale development of wind power in the Gulf of Maine. Supporters argue the powerful winds in the gulf have the potential to provide significant clean power, and help the state reduce greenhouse gasses and curb its reliance on pricey out of state fossil fuels. Maine's plans to have 100% clean electricity by 2040 rely on a significant buildout of offshore wind power.
But hostility to offshore wind from the Trump administration has thrown plans in Maine and other U.S. states into question.
The administration's positions on offshore wind provoke uncertainty in the market about whether projects will get permits or be allowed to develop on federal leases, Shapiro said.
"This is reflective of the fact that we have an administration in Washington D.C. that doesn’t want Maine to take advantage of its most abundant renewable energy resource," he said.
The Maine Governor's Energy Office declined an interview request.
In an emailed statement, office director Dan Burgess said it understood and respected the developer's request to pause negotiations.
"Offshore wind, including the research array, is an important part of Maine’s long-term energy future, and GEO will continue to work on responsible offshore wind research and development to advance economic and environmental benefits for Maine," Burgess said.
A representative for Diamond Offshore Wind, a Mitsubishi-owned company behind Pine Tree Offshore Wind, declined an interview request.
