Maine joins 7 states challenging offshore wind lease cancellations

Maine has joined seven other states in a federal lawsuit challenging the cancellation of offshore wind leases, including two covering roughly 216,000 acres in the Gulf of Maine.

At the center of the lawsuit are two Gulf of Maine leases held by affiliates of Invenergy, a renewable energy developer. The states argue that the leases were unlawfully canceled as part of a federal settlement with the company.

Under the federal settlement the government agreed to pay Invenergy $653 million from the Judgment Fund, with the money required to be invested in other energy projects, including oil and gas development.

The two Gulf of Maine leases were purchased for nearly $11 million and include one lease off Maine and another off Massachusetts. The states say that the projects were to play a role in meeting future electricity demand and renewable energy goals.

Maine and the states are asking a federal judge to declare the lease cancellations and settlement agreements unlawful and to block the federal government from implementing them.

The states are also requesting that the federal government comply with the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which requires the Interior Department to follow specific procedures and make certain findings before canceling an offshore lease.

According to the states’ allegations, the federal government violated several laws, including the Administrative Procedure Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. These acts were violated after the government canceled the leases without following proper procedures or adequately explaining its decision.

The lawsuit also argues that the cancellations could negatively impact Maine’s plans for future offshore wind development and other renewable energy goals.

The Maine attorney general’s office has been contacted for comment, and the federal government has not yet filed a response to the complaint.