Responsible Development of Offshore Wind in Maine
In the fall of 2022, we hosted a six-part speaker series on the topic of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine.
The goal of this series was to educate ourselves & others on the various aspects of the floating offshore wind turbine projects that have been proposed for the Gulf of Maine: the Aqua Ventus/University of Maine demonstration project & research array, as well as the BOEM (Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) projects.
By hosting this series, we have gained a robust understanding of the offshore wind landscape in Maine - technical, ecological, economic, & political - and can better advocate for a just transition to renewables without further marginalizing frontline communities. We curated questions about offshore wind from youth, & while these conversations were hosted live over Zoom, they were also recorded for the purpose of producing a podcast mini-series. We hope that by producing a podcast, we will be able to reach a broader audience of both youth & adults who wish to better understand the issue of offshore wind in Maine.
Stay tuned for the release of MYCJ’s first podcast series in late fall 2023. If you want to join the podcast team, reach out to info@mycj.org
Watch the Offshore Wind Speaker Series videos below!
Technical Aspects of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines
Dr. Habib Dagher - September 22nd 2022
The first part of this series was a conversation about the technical aspects of installing floating offshore wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine, featuring Dr. Habib Dagher, Professor of Civil & Structural Engineering at the University of Maine and founding Executive Director of the University of Maine's Advanced Structures & Composites Center.
Fisheries & Ecological Impacts of OSW
Dr. Damian Brady - October 6th 2022
The second part of this series was a conversation about potential fisheries and ecological interactions with offshore wind turbines featuring Dr. Damian Brady, Associate Professor of Oceanography in the School of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine & Chair of the Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine.
Equity & Inclusion in Public Engagement, & the State of Maine’s OSW Roadmap
Dr. Alison Bates - October 20th 2022
The third part of this series featured a discussion of issues of equity & inclusion in public engagement, & the State of Maine's OSW Roadmap process with Dr. Alison Bates, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Colby College.
Principled Opposition to OSW
Ben Martens - November 3rd 2022
The fourth part of this series featured Ben Martens, Executive Director of Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, discussing the opposition to the offshore wind projects; who opposes them, why they oppose the projects, & what alternatives or compromises the opposition might support.
Unionized Labor & Economic Issues surrounding OSW
Grant Provost - November 17th 2022
The fifth part of this series featured Grant Provost, Business Agent for Maine Ironworkers Local 7 Union, discussing labor & economic issues surrounding OSW in Maine.
Creating the Future We Want to See
Panel Discussion - February 16th 2023
The sixth & final part of this series featured a panel experts discussing the potentials for a just, livable future where all Mainers thrive, moderated by youth climate activists.
