Maine AFL-CIO Applauds Passage of Historic Ports & Offshore Wind Jobs & Climate Legislation with Strong Labor Standards

Today Governor Mills signed into law LD 1895, historic offshore wind jobs legislation that will jumpstart a new offshore wind energy industry in the state with strong labor, climate, and equity standards.

The bill (LD 1895), sponsored by Sen. Mark Lawrence (D-York), was passed after being negotiated by legislators, the Mills Administration, organized labor, a key fisheries group, and environmental organizations. 

The bill will responsibly develop offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine and encourage new deep-water port construction while maintaining strong standards to ensure good-paying jobs for Maine workers, protections for wildlife, avoidance of important fishing grounds, broad stakeholder engagement, and inclusive community benefits. 

“This bill is a homerun for Maine workers and our clean energy future.  It ensures that we will create thousands of good union jobs with great benefits and apprenticeship training opportunities. It protects our fisheries and puts Maine on a path to clean energy independence,” said Matt Schlobohm, Executive Director of the Maine AFL-CIO. 

“We applaud legislators and Governor Mills for working collaboratively with our coalition to negotiate a comprehensive framework that will jumpstart this new industry with strong labor, climate and equity standards,” Schlobohm continued.

The groundbreaking new climate jobs law:

• Sets Maine on track to procure three gigawatts of offshore wind power – enough to power 900,000 homes with clean energy – in the Gulf of Maine by 2040.
• Any offshore wind project and port must be built under industry-leading strong labor standards, including Project Labor Agreements and other benchmarks that prohibit temporary workers and independent contractors, and mandate that workers are paid unions’ collectively bargained total package rate with comparable health and retirement benefits, safety training, and participation in registered apprenticeship programs.  These standards apply to both the construction of a port in Maine and offshore wind work.
• Encourage the use of project labor agreements in the awarding of offshore wind procurement bids.
• Incentivize responsibly developed wind projects that protect wildlife and avoid Lobster Management Area 1, Maine’s key fishing grounds. 
• Set strong and comprehensive labor and workforce development standards for good-paying jobs and ensure inclusive benefits for Maine's most vulnerable communities.  
• Support the creation of a world-class, Maine-built offshore wind port that will bring in billions of dollars in economic development.
• Help meet Maine’s bipartisan emissions reduction targets and put the state on a path to meeting the proposed goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2040.   

Historic Legislation Puts Maine on Road to Clean Energy Goals

Maine has positioned itself as a national leader on climate with a comprehensive statewide Climate Action Plan, bipartisan emissions reduction targets, and strong clean energy policies that have driven record growth in heat pump and solar adoption. A proposed goal of 100% renewable energy by 2040 would continue this progress. 

This comprehensive bill reflects many of the recommendations of the Maine Offshore Wind Roadmap, developed after a multi-year process by the Governor’s Energy Office that engaged a wide variety of stakeholders – including representatives from coastal communities, fisheries, business, conservation, clean energy, organized labor, and state government.