Maine's goal of using 100% clean energy by 2040 relies in large part on tapping power generated by offshore wind farms.
But it has delayed its first ocean wind power purchase as President Donald Trump’s energy policy dims the industry’s immediate future.
The Maine Governor's Energy Office was supposed to issue its first solicitation for energy generated by offshore turbines at the beginning of July, according to a 2023 law.
But last month the Maine Public Utilities Commission agreed to the office's request to extend that deadline indefinitely.
In an email, Burgess said the extension was due to "recent changes in the energy landscape that have caused significant uncertainty in the offshore wind industry, including shifts in federal energy policy and market conditions."
President Trump campaigned to end the U.S. offshore wind industry and put a stop to federal leasing for new developments on day one of his administration. The impact has had a chilling effect on the burgeoning sector, which Maine and other New England states have looked to to supply future power needs.
Maine's energy plan calls for buying 3 gigawatts of ocean wind power by 2040 and the resource forms the backbone of the state's ambition to reach totally clean electricity by the same year.
Burgess said the state will monitor the industry and communicate with the utilities commission when conditions for a solicitation may improve.
In the meantime, Maine is committed to advancing offshore wind research and related activities, Burgess added.
The delay is the latest in a series of setbacks for Maine's offshore wind program since before the Trump administration. The state has failed to get funding for a controversial port designed to construct and launch floating wind turbines developed at the University of Maine.
This spring, Maine's private partner in a 12-turbine floating wind array suspended negotiations for a power agreement, citing uncertainty in the industry.
