Senate enacts Curry bill to ensure offshore wind ports meet key labor and environmental standards

AUGUSTA – On Tuesday, the Senate enacted a bill from Sen. Chip Curry, D-Belfast, setting strong labor and environmental standards for the development and operation of port facilities that support Maine’s offshore wind industry. The vote was 22-11.

As amended, LD 1847, “An Act to Modify the Visual Impact Standards for Offshore Wind Port Development and Establish Labor Standards for Wind Power Projects,” would require that offshore wind energy projects in Maine meet certain standards, including ensuring jobs created to support offshore wind energy pay a strong, living wage.

“Maine is continuing to invest in our energy independence and renewable energy goals. Part of those investments will soon be offshore wind energy projects. Now is the time for us to make sure that when this work begins, it’s done right. A major part of that is ensuring that the jobs these projects create pay well, so that workers can support themselves and their families,” said Sen. Curry. “This bill puts us on the right path to creating an offshore wind industry that’s for Maine and for Mainers.”

As amended, LD 1847 would support good-paying jobs as Maine develops its off-shore wind energy industry. The bill has several key components:

• It would require any public port facility or highway constructed to serve an offshore wind power project to employ project labor agreements. It also would require any lease of a state-owned facility include the use of project labor agreements for on-site construction and full-time employees, and as much as practical, the use of zero-emission equipment;
• It would direct state departments to coordinate and pursue federal funding to enhance climate resilience and biodiversity of any nearshore, intertidal or upland areas disturbed by activities related to offshore wind power projects;
• It would require developers to invest in local workforce development and prioritize the hiring of Maine workers, especially those from impoverished rural communities.
• It would establish a new type of port development used for fabricating offshore wind turbines, called an offshore wind terminal. It would create a visual impact standard to evaluate the effect of the development of an offshore wind terminal. 

LD 1847 now goes to the desk of Gov. Janet Mills, who has 10 days to either sign the bill, veto it, or allow it to become law without her signature.