Alliance for Sears Island

The Maine Department of Energy Resources (DOER) is required by law to update the Maine Energy Plan every two years. This plan “guides Maine’s approach to energy policy, with a focus on delivering affordable, reliable, and increasingly cleaner energy to all people and businesses while achieving the state’s statutory energy requirements and strengthening Maine’s economy.”

DOER is seeking public comments to update the plan that will be delivered to the Governor and the Legislature by January 15, 2027. This is an opportunity to tell the Maine DOER that Sears Island should NOT be included in the State’s energy plans, that the State must protect and preserve places like Sears Island that are already mitigating climate change, and that the infrastructure needed for renewable energy must be built on already developed land when possible.

The Alliance for Sears Island will be submitting comments on behalf of this coalition, and we urge individuals to submit comments as well to ensure DOER hears from those OPPOSED to sacrificing Sears Island for the proposed offshore (OSW) port. DOER is seeking feedback on a number of “questions of interest.” Below, we have included instructions on how to submit comments, and talking points that could be incorporated in your comments to directly address DOER’s questions while emphasizing the importance of protecting Sears Island.  

HOW TO SUBMIT

There are two ways to submit comments:

1. Fill out this survey by Monday, April 27th:

2. Submit comments by email to doer@maine.gov with the subject line “Energy Plan RFI” by Monday, April 27, 2026. Reference question numbers when responding. Submissions may be included directly in the body of an email and/or as attachments in common file formats (.docx, .pdf, or .xlsx). 

RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONS OF INTEREST

Below are the relevant “questions of interests” with talking points to include in your submission. It’s always best to put the talking points into your own words, but not required.

Part 1: Engaging in Maine’s Energy Plan

A. What recommendations do you have regarding the best ways to engage and solicit feedback from the public throughout the energy planning process in calendar year 2026?

Part 1, Question A. It is critical to allow more time for questions or comments from the public during in-person workshops or presentations.  Far too often, public engagement sessions falter when they force attendees to listen to a presentation for the majority of the session, and questions must only be submitted in writing, or only a few questions are allowed at the end of the presentation. 

B. Are there any regional or geographic considerations DOER should consider when planning outreach and engagement? 

Part 1. Question B. DOER should hold an in-person, public meeting or workshop in Searsport, Maine. Searsport residents will be the most impacted by the proposed construction of an OSW port and they should have the opportunity to meet with DOER, learn more from the agency, and have their questions and concerns heard in their own community.

D. Are there specific topics that you would most like to see covered in public meetings or workshops?

Part 1. Question D. Specific topics that should be covered in public meetings or workshops must include the plans for an OSW port that will assemble and service the proposed OSW development in the Gulf of Maine. 

Part 4: Specific Questions Regarding the Objectives of the Maine Energy Plan 

Comment on available information, data, or provide feedback on energy supply resources or potential resources in Maine.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: 

a. Current/existing resources and operations 

b. Feasibility and opportunities for development of new or expansion of existing resources

c. Land-use and siting considerations

d. Technologies and other relevant characteristics that may influence deployment

Part 4. Objective A. Question 6 part C. As Maine pursues the development of renewable energy in order to address the climate crisis, the State must include conservation and proper-siting of renewable energy infrastructure as key components of their decision-making. The current proposal is to build an OSW port on Sears Island, rather than re-develop at Mack Point. Mack Point, located ~800 yards across the Bay from Sears Island, is an existing industrial port site that has the capacity to be redeveloped to accommodate the OSW port facility. The owner and operator of Mack Point, Sprague Energy, has publicly stated they are willing to host the port, they have experience in handling wind turbine technology and are currently handling turbine components for land-based wind projects. Sprague hired their own engineering firm to complete studies that demonstrated that the site can support the OSW port.

As we contemplate a just transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy sources, responsible siting must be a key component of this transition. Redevelopment of an existing industrial site provides an opportunity to preserve  Sears Island, an intact ecosystem which already sequesters carbon, and allows for the continued future operation of a port facility with expanded economic and job opportunities. 

Intact forests and ecosystems are among the best tools for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, according to a report by the International Panel on Climate Change. Intact and biodiverse coastal habitat, like that found on Sears Island, is extremely rare. The State of Maine’s Carbon Budget, Version 2.0 identifies forestland as the most significant factor removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere through carbon sequestration. Sierra Club has established strategic goals to address the climate crisis. Protecting 30% of our lands and waters from development by 2030 is a vital first step toward protecting intact ecosystems and restoring damaged ecosystems. Sears Island’s forests and wetlands sequester 88,750 metric tons of carbon, the equivalent of emissions from 74,000 cars per year. According to the Nature Conservancy’s land use mapping tool, by 2050 the island will sequester 96,685 metric tons of carbon. Destroying forested acres and carbon-sequestering wetlands for wind power is counterproductive. Conserving lands and waters is crucial in addressing the extinction and climate crises. Siting renewable energy facilities on structures or lands which have already been developed is preferable to impacting lands and waters which remain in their natural state. Redevelopment of existing industrial or developed sites is critical  for conserving biodiversity, habitat connectivity, climate refugia, carbon sequestration, and food or water security.

Part 5: Additional Considerations 

1. Are there any other considerations related to the statutory requirements of the Maine Energy Plan that should be taken into account as the 2027 plan is developed? 

2. Please provide additional insights, perspectives, or examples you wish to share.

Part 5. Additional Considerations. Questions 1 and 2. The current proposal to build an OSW port on Sears Island violates the Sears Island Planning Initiative (SIPI) consensus agreement that prioritizes the construction of any future port at Mack Point. 

In 2009, the Sears Island Planning Initiative (SIPI) reached a Consensus Agreement recommending future land use activities for Sears Island and Mack Point, designed to compatibly manage marine transportation, recreation, education and conservation. This agreement states:

“Mack Point should be given preference as an alternative to port development on Sears Island. MaineDOT in conjunction with interested parties, shall investigate and share factual information (which is not confidential or proprietary) on the extent to which Mack Point can, in fact, accommodate future marine transportation needs, including investigating the possibilities for acquisition and/or development of additional [on Mack Point] acreage  for such use. ”