Four years after identifying state-owned Sears Island among several possible ports to help build Maine’s nascent offshore wind industry, Gov. Janet Mills said Tuesday that the site is the preferred one.
Estimated costs for constructing the base on a portion of the Waldo County island are approximately $500 million. The state is seeking funding, including federal sources.
“Ports are not just about transportation; they are important economic development engines in their own right,” said Wade Merritt, president of the Maine International Trade Center. “The Searsport project will attract, create, and sustain jobs and opportunity for all types of businesses, as well as their workers and their families, all along the coast and across the state.”