Name: Sears Island: Port or Paradise?
Start: 2025-04-04T11:15:00-0400
End: 2025-04-04T12:30:00-0400

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Friday April 4, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm EDT

In 2024, Maine’s Governor announced Sears Island, off the coast of Searsport, as the site of a future port to assemble turbines for an offshore wind project in the Gulf of Maine. This announcement came after years of discussions with government agencies, environmentalists and unions, who gathered input from community stakeholders and reached compromises they believed met the needs of local residents, workers, lobsterers, and indigenous tribes. Proponents of the Governor’s plan lauded this project as a necessary step in weaning Maine off fossil fuels and bringing good jobs to an area hit hard by deindustrialization.
However, a group of Searsport residents arose in vehement opposition to citing the port on Sears Island, one of the last pristine islands in Maine. Opponents believe a port on Sears Island will destroy vital wildlife habitat, pollute surrounding waters, and rob the community of a natural recreation area. They insist that gains won by offshore wind will be offset by the environmental destruction of the island, and see any form of development on Sears Island as detrimental to the community and indigenous tribes. The opposition to developing Sears Island consists of people against an offshore wind project altogether and those who support offshore wind, but believe a port is better situated on the already industrialized, nearby Mack Point.
This panel brings together representatives of groups for and against building an offshore wind port on Sears Island. They will explore topics such as: what is the work necessary to ensure all voices are heard in communities where such projects are being built? Can there be progress without destruction or must we accept some level of destruction to serve a greater good? How do we preserve natural resources and simultaneously uphold the voices of laborers in environmental debates? How can proponents and opponents of developing Sears Island come together to create a just transition to clean energy in Maine.

Moderators

Panel Discussion

Just Transitions Summit

Ed Boutin

Francis Eanes

Chris Buchanan

Just Transitions Summit

Ed Boutin

Francis Eanes

Chris Buchanan

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