The state of Maine this week announced plans to build an offshore wind manufacturing facility on Sears Island – breaking its promise to Maine residents.

In 2007, the state promised to choose Mack Point as the preferred location for future marine transportation development. Former Islesboro Select Board chair and long-time defender of Penobscot Bay, Arch Gillies, said this week: “I’m profoundly disappointed in Gov. Mills’ breach of the state’s commitment.”

Sadly, Islesboro Islands Trust has no choice now but to intervene using every legal means available. The Trust supports offshore wind but affirms that the offshore wind manufacturing facility should be built at Mack Point if it is to be built in Penobscot Bay.

The Sears Island agreement of 2007, signed by 38 stakeholders including the Maine Department of Transportation, and adopted as state policy by then-Governor Baldacci and the State of Maine’s Joint Standing Committee on Transportation, says: “Build out of Mack Point: Mack Point shall be given preference as an alternative to port development on Sears Island.”

Further evidence of the numerous common-sense reasons supporting this extremely clear obligation to build the proposed offshore wind manufacturing, assembling and launching facility at Mack Point, and not at Sears Island, includes but is not limited to:

– Mack Point would consolidates industry in one location, economizing on existing infrastructure and replacing and remediating Mack Point’s brownfield history;

– Sprague Energy (primary Mack Point landowner and manager of the current port) developed an offshore wind facility concept that takes advantage of that site, requires limited dredging, avoids freshwater wetlands, expands use of existing rail, preserves current Mack Point functions and meets or exceeds all engineering requirements necessary for such a facility with virtually no ecological destruction;

– Build-out at Mack Point furthers Maine’s Offshore Wind Roadmap and is consistent with recent offshore wind legislation supported by Gov. Mills;

– Construction costs are estimated to be essentially equal for Mack Point and Sears Island;

– Sears Island’s current undeveloped  natural condition provides important ecological services to the region and state, especially for fisheries, carbon sequestration and publicly accessible recreation – Mack Point does not provide these ecological services

Furthermore, Sears Island’s intact ecology bolsters several Maine Climate Council objectives. The mature Sears Island forest locks up roughly two tons of carbon dioxide per acre every year – CO2 that cannot harm our climate. Buildout at Sears Island opens the door to industrialization of up to 330 acres, a Maine Department of Transportation goal for nearly fifty years, forever changing the entire Penobscot Bay. In general, a groundswell of public opinion supports protecting Sears Island’s ecological resources.

Building the proposed offshore wind manufacturing facility at Mack Point represents the least environmentally damaging alternative, favors repurposing outdated and unused industrial energy sites, avoids damaging undeveloped and ecologically significant locations, limits or eliminates impacts on wildlife and fisheries and complies with the 2007 Sears Island consensus agreement.

In support of the state’s fight against climate change and what is best for the economy of Penobscot Bay, Islesboro Islands Trust vigorously opposes the proposed siting of offshore wind manufacturing on Sears Island.

The state of Maine’s choice of Sears Island, the largest undisturbed on the Maine coast, is not only a bad choice but also a broken promise.

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