MAINE MONITOR • August 4, 2024
I got bird’s-eye view of part of Penobscot Bay last week. We flew out over Sears Island, which is mostly undeveloped but still accessible by road. We could see where the state wants to build the wind port. We saw the industrial development that surrounds the island, including Sprague Energy’s Mack Point cargo and fuel terminal to the southwest. Mack Point is where opponents of the Sears Island project want the port built. It was considered by the state’s Offshore Wind Port Advisory Group. But the state has said Mack Point would be prohibitively expensive, complicated and restrictive for the kind of port they want. This is about priorities. It challenges environmental values, putting them in perceived conflict with one another.