BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 19, 2025
Since the 1970s, popular support for protecting Sears Island and opposition to out-sized Sears Island development proposals elevated the Penobscot Bay island into a compelling symbol of Maine’s economic and environmental policy options. Proposals for an oil refinery, a nuclear power plant, a coal-fired power plant, cargo port, LNG terminal, container port, and offshore wind manufacturing facility all faced oppositionstatewide and failed, while Sears Island’s 940 acres of old field, mixed forest, wetlands, sand beach, rocky beach, cliff, stream, salt marsh, and marine perimeter endured. When the path to developing floating offshore wind reopens, Maine can lead using new technology that supports launching foundations almost anywhere on our coast (such as aikido technologies new floating turbines), repurposing existing locations (Mack Point, Cousins Island) or integrating multiple manufacturing, launching and assembling locations much as the Aqua Ventus one-quarter scale did earlier this year. Meanwhile, Sears Island provides convincing reasons for protection: ~ Steve Miller