Driven by legislation, by 2021 Maine’s onshore wind contribution to the electrical grid had grown to about a quarter of its electricity generation, second only to hydropower. The total capacity is now over 1 GW. However, because the wind strength in the Gulf of Maine is very favorable for wind turbines, the offshore wind potential in the Gulf of Maine can exceed this, perhaps by an order of magnitude when fully built.
Sierra Club Maine is part of a large coalition of Maine entities (Maine Offshore Wind Initiative) tracking the offshore wind program of the federal government’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). One of our key aims is to prevent undue degradation of onshore and offshore environments that could be impacted by Gulf of Maine wind energy development and by its consequent production and transmission of electricity.
Resources
- Energy Information Administration state profile on Maine energy
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimates of wind power over North America
- Maine Offshore Wind Initiative
- BOEM webpage on Gulf of Maine wind program
- Maine Offshore Wind Roadmap (February 2023)
