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Dale Witham of Bremen has been a commercial fisherman for more than 50 years.
The Green New Deal was developed and implemented to address climate change, as well as, create jobs, economic growth and reduce economic inequality. Thomas Friedman of The New York Times wrote in 2007, “If you have to put a windmill in your yard or some solar panels on your roof, bless your heart. But we will only green the world when we change the very nature of the electricity grid — moving it away from dirty coal or oil to clean coal and renewables.”
Maine’s offshore fishing grounds have provided for the people of this state for generations. In 2021, Maine’s commercial fishing value for all species was more than $890 million. The state’s population was 1.37 million people, equating to $649.18 in generated wealth for every resident.
Beyond the value of our lucrative fisheries, the pristine environment and rich offshore ecosystems draw people to our state for many reasons. Maine is a gem that was once governed by families who resided here for hundreds of years.
Today offshore farms are displacing fishermen from traditional fishing grounds, so much for economic growth and reducing economic inequality. Recently, local news aired images of turbine debris littering beaches in Massachusetts.
This is a simple example that demonstrates how I believe the National Environmental Policy Act was not rigorously or holistically developed to consider the significant and detrimental effect offshore wind farms may have on the environment, meteorology, cultural resources and social values of communities. This industry disproportionately affects aesthetics and quality of life for our coastal communities.
Gov. Janet Mills states that a priority of her administration is increasing renewable energy generation. She proposes to do this, in part, by installing offshore windmills. The governor’s office has already applied to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to lease a limited, 15.2-square-mile site in the Gulf of Maine for the first offshore research site in federal waters. Justification for this effort includes reducing the state’s dependence on fossil fuels, transitioning to clean energy and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Maine ranks 46th out of the 50 states for CO2 emissions, one of the lowest in the country.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that 64 percent of Maine’s total electricity net generation came from renewable energy in 2022. That year, the state ranked second in the nation in the share of total in-state electricity consumption provided by renewable energy and wind provided about 23 percent of Maine’s in-state net generation.
Are offshore wind farms a good thing? For whom? Do they enhance or benefit our pristine offshore ecosystem? How do we know? I believe Bureau of Ocean Energy Management cannot say because the ecosystem is so dynamic. An example of an ecological shift is recent reports of juvenile humpbacks swimming along Maine’s and New Hampshire’s shallow coastal waters.
Marine ecosystems are complex and scientists often miss subtle spatially and temporally defined indicators. Placing these offshore windmills involves tethering them to the seafloor, which consequently modifies that habitat. Do we know what the impacts of those modifications are? How many peer-reviewed research papers are out there? Is this about the environment or just a transfer of government money to private hands?
Who gave the governor and outside interests the right to potentially change how we earn a livelihood, a right to impact our heritage, our Maine — “the way life should be”?
