Maine Offshore Wind Research Consortium

As part of Maine’s commitment to responsible offshore wind, Governor Janet Mills wth bipartisan support the Legislature established the Maine Offshore Wind Research Consortium to better understand the local and regional impacts of floating offshore wind power projects in the Gulf of Maine.

The statute directs the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) to serve as the coordinating agency and outlines an Advisory Board with representation from fisheries interests, and the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) and including other state agencies and stakeholders. 

The Advisory Board is responsible for establishing a research strategy that at a minimum includes the following themes:

  • Opportunities and challenges caused by the deployment of floating offshore wind projects to the existing uses of the Gulf of Maine;
  • Methods to avoid and minimize the impact of floating offshore wind projects on ecosystems and existing uses of the Gulf of Maine; and 
  • Ways to realize cost efficiencies in the commercialization of floating offshore wind projects. 

The Maine Offshore Wind Consortium will collaborate closely with other states and regional and national science and research partners, including the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium, and the Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative, of which the Governor’s Energy Office is a member.

GEO has appointed the initial Advisory Board and Steering Committee for the Research Consortium. The Advisory Board and Steering Committee will identify preliminary research areas and questions in the first quarter of 2023, with an intent to publish a Request for Proposals for research projects in by the end of 2023.

For more information, contact Stephanie Watson, Offshore Wind Program Manager, at Stephanie.Watson@maine.gov.

Research Consortium Advisory Board and Steering Committee

GOAL:

The Maine Offshore Wind Research Consortium aims to create a common understanding of the local and regional impacts (positive and negative) of floating offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine. The consortium may prioritize, scope, commission, and/or find collaborative partners to implement scientific studies on the ecological, technological, economic and social impacts to achieve this goal.

OBJECTIVES (based on Title 35-A, §3406):

  • Explore opportunities and challenges that floating offshore wind poses to current and future uses in the Gulf of Maine, including how to best support co-existence with the fishing industry.
  • Identify methods to avoid and minimize impacts on ecosystems and existing uses of the Gulf of Maine.
  • Investigate ways to realize cost efficiencies in commercialization of offshore wind to reduce potential costs to ratepayers.

STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES:

  • Identify priority data gaps and research needs to achieve the above objectives, building off other initiatives.
  • Share knowledge and promote joint learning about floating offshore wind technology, the Gulf of Maine ecosystem, and the current ocean users.
  • Collaborate and partner with government entities and other organizations focused on floating offshore wind research and monitoring in the Gulf of Maine.
  • Coordinate, support and leverage funds to commission research and monitoring.
  • Promote communication and implementation of research results and data in a timely manner.
Advisory Board Members

Commercial and recreational harvesting interests

  • Patrice McCarron, Maine Lobstermen’s Association
  • Jack Cunningham, Maine Lobstering Union Local 207
  • Ben Martens, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association
  • Terry Alexander*, F/V Jocka 22
  • Mary Beth Tooley, O’Hara Corporation
  • Chris Weiner, F/V Elizabeth Ames, American Bluefin Tuna Association
  • Bob Humphrey, Sport-Ventures

*Advisory Board Co-Chair

Scientists from private and public research institutions

  • Alison Bates*, Colby College
  • Damian Brady, University of Maine
  • Wing Goodale, Biodiversity Research Institute
  • Nick Record, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
  • Graham Sherwood, Gulf of Maine Research Institute
  • Sean Todd, College of the Atlantic
  • Anthony Viselli, University of Maine
  • Gayle Zydlewski, Maine Sea Grant

*Advisory Board Co-Chair

Offshore wind industry experience

  • Dave Cowan, Diamond Offshore Wind
  • Wojciech Wiechowski, RWE
  • Laura Morse, Invenergy

Coastal community representatives

  • Bill Needelman, Portland Waterfront Coordinator
  • TBD

Maine-based environmental groups

  • Jocelyn Runnebaum, The Nature Conservancy Maine
  • Sarah Haggerty, Maine Audubon

State agencies

  • Carl Wilson, Department of Marine Resources
  • John Perry, Inland Fish and Wildlife
  • Stephanie Watson, Governor’s Energy Office

At-large

  • Daniel Salerno, Fisheries Scientist, Limington, Maine
Steering Committee Members
  • Carl Wilson, Department of Marine Resources
  • John Perry, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
  • Stephanie Watson, Governor’s Energy Office
  • Alison Bates*, Colby College
  • Terry Alexander*, F/V Jocka
Current Collaborators

State and Federal Entities

  • MA Coastal Program and Clean Energy Center
  • NH Department of Environmental Services
  • NY State Energy Research and Development Authority
  • California Energy Commission
  • US Fish & Wildlife Service
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • New England Fisheries Management Council

Regional Organizations

  • Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative
  • National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium
  • Responsible Offshore Science Alliance
  • Responsible Offshore Development Alliance
  • Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems