Offshore wind energy is getting a major boost in Maine, which has just approved adding 3,000 megawatts of energy provided by offshore wind turbines by 2040. The 3,000 megawatts would be enough to meet about half of Maine’s electricity demand.

Maine Governor Janet Mills signed the law, LD 1895, on Thursday, noting the legislation would contribute to port development with inclusions to still protect lobster fishing areas. 

“Offshore wind, done responsibly, offers Maine the opportunity to secure abundant clean energy, stable energy prices, good-paying jobs, and a healthier environment for future generations,” Mills said in a statement.

In previous discussions to expand offshore wind in the state, the lobster industry raised concerns and protested offshore wind development.

“We don’t know how much the electromagnetic field around the cables going to shore is going to affect things on bottom,” lobster fisher Clayton Philbrook told WABI5, a local news station based in Bangor. “Will lobsters […]