Seacoast fishermen say they don't support wind turbines in Gulf of Maine
WMUR News 9|Imani Fleming |May 29, 2024
On Wednesday night, several fishermen said they can't get on board with the idea of wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine, but the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said they're trying to be as safe as possible with this potential project. The proposal would allow the state of Maine to build 12 floating turbines about 30 miles off the coast, which some fishermen said would cut them off from where they fish.
On Wednesday night, several fishermen said they can't get on board with the idea of wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine, but the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said they're trying to be as safe as possible with this potential project. The proposal would allow the state of Maine to build 12 floating turbines about 30 miles off the coast, which some fishermen said would cut them off from where they fish.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — A federal group wants to put wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine, but some Seacoast fishermen said they don't want them.
On Wednesday night, several fishermen said they can't get on board with the idea of wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine, but the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said they're trying to be as safe as possible with this potential project.
The proposal would allow the state of Maine to build 12 floating turbines about 30 miles off the coast, which some fishermen said would cut them off from where they fish.
"It's our heritage. This guy is a fourth-generation fisherman. Most of us have been fishing for more than 10 years. It's our way of life. It's kind of coming to blows with our way of life," said …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — A federal group wants to put wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine, but some Seacoast fishermen said they don't want them.
On Wednesday night, several fishermen said they can't get on board with the idea of wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine, but the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said they're trying to be as safe as possible with this potential project.
The proposal would allow the state of Maine to build 12 floating turbines about 30 miles off the coast, which some fishermen said would cut them off from where they fish.
"It's our heritage. This guy is a fourth-generation fisherman. Most of us have been fishing for more than 10 years. It's our way of life. It's kind of coming to blows with our way of life," said lobsterman Ryan Sirois.
The project, hoping to protect the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale while supporting the Biden administration's goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, is on track to be the first floating offshore wind farm in the United States, but more approvals are still needed.
"We take the state's renewable energy goals seriously and want to make sure our leasing supports those goals as well," said David Diamond with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
The state of Maine will have less than 30 days to accept, reject or ask to modify the request.