April 26, 2023 — President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday said it had finalized an area of nearly 10 million acres in the Gulf of Maine for potential offshore wind development, a major step toward expanding the industry into northern New England.
The announcement was the latest milestone in the government’s plan to put wind turbines along every U.S. coastline to help displace fossil fuel for power generation and fight climate change
In a statement, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said it would kick off a 45-day period for public comment on the area, which sits off the coasts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.
The final “call area” was identified after soliciting feedback from tribes, states, the Department of Defense, fishing and shipping industries and the public. It is nearly 30% smaller than the area BOEM identified in an initial “Request for Interest” last year.