PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 9, 2025
Maine Republicans are asking the Trump administration to revoke offshore wind leases off the coast of Maine that had been auctioned to developers last year, arguing they would harm the economy and fishing industry. Environmental advocates and state officials say the request is built on flawed logic and inaccurate claims. Representative Reagan Paul, R-Winterport, applauded the administration’s termination of more than $600 million in offshore wind projects late last month and asked for four commercial-scale leases in the Gulf of Maine to be revoked. Jack Shapiro, climate and clean energy program director at the Natural Resources Council of Maine, said the leases issued last year are for sites outside of Lobster Management Area One, which includes some of the most critical lobster fishing zones. Those sites were selected specifically to avoid harming the fishing industry.