Maine Aqua Ventus floating wind farm gets green light

Maine Gov. Janet Mills gave the go-ahead for a floating offshore wind farm off the coast of Maine.

The Maine Aqua Ventus project is the first of its kind in the United States. The wind farm will feature floating turbines and will provide clean energy to Maine. The University of Maine designed the turbines. The pilot project is supported by $39.9 million in grant funds from the U.S. Department of Energy,

“With the innovative work being done at University of Maine, our state has the potential to lead the world in floating offshore wind development,” Mills said. “This long-overdue bill will move us in that direction.”

The State of Maine will participate in a federally-led Gulf of Maine Intergovernmental Regional Task Force on offshore wind with New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The Task Force will seek to identify potential opportunities for renewable energy leasing and development on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Maine.

The state will also create the Maine Offshore Wind Initiative, a state-based initiative to identify opportunities for offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine.

“Offshore wind represents a great opportunity for Maine’s energy future and our economy. The development of offshore wind technology in Maine will create jobs, help us meet our energy needs with our own resources, and reduce carbon emissions in the process. The Maine Offshore Wind Initiative will lead this work,” Mills said. “Participating in the federal task force will also give Maine a seat at the table to ensure that development moves forward with the least impact to commercial fishing and other ocean-dependent industries.”