The state’s economic and environmental planners have made the development of wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine a top goal. And those ambitions may be coming closer to being realized with recent federal legislation like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which both set aside funds for states to ramp up the construction of offshore wind. Those federal laws specify various labor standards the states must comply with to be eligible to tap the funds.
“Why the Gulf of Maine? Well, it has some of the strongest and most consistent winds in the world, which makes it a good place for offshore wind,” explained Beth Ahearn of Maine Conservation Voters.