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Rep. Jared Golden introduced a bill on Thursday that would prohibit commercial offshore wind development in Lobster Management Area 1. This is the area used by most Maine lobstermen who fish in federal waters.
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The bill, originally submitted by Mill's office, modifies the visual impact standards for offshore wind ports to permit taller cranes. It was amended to include language requiring labor agreements, which the governor says would have a chilling effect on the offshore wind sector, and put Maine at a competitive disadvantage with other New England states.
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The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is soliciting feedback on some 9.8 million acres to site potential commercial projects in the Gulf of Maine. The state's congressional delegation, as well as Gov. Janet Mills, are looking for assurances that prime lobster fishing grounds will be removed from consideration as a possible site.
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A legislative committee on Wednesday approved a bill to boost offshore wind power.
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One would direct the Public Utilities Commission to contract for at least 1,000 megawatts of offshore wind power by 2030, and 2,800 megawatts by 2035. It would also direct the commission to establish labor standards, monitor wind projects' effects on the marine environment, and develop transmission infrastructure.
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Federal officials from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management were in Bangor this week to gather feedback from state officials, fishermen and tribal members about potential offshore wind development projects that may be sited in the Gulf of Maine.
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A port to support Maine's offshore wind industry could require cranes that are taller than those at Bath Iron Works, or the towers of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge.
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Representatives of the Governor's Energy Office took questions from a legislative committee Wednesday about the scale of offshore wind projects that might be sited in the Gulf of Maine, and their potential impacts on whales, fisheries, and aesthetics.
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It's a blueprint for how the state can develop floating offshore wind projects while also considering the needs of maritime communities and industries.
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If regulators approve the project, it will be sited 45 miles southeast of Portland, and could produce power by the end of the decade.