This well-known quote from the Stother Martin “Captain” character in the iconic movie Cool Hand Luke applies perfectly to the Maine Department of Transportation’s approach to their plans for developing Sears Island instead of Mack Point as an offshore wind manufacturing facility.

As a member of the Offshore Wind Port Advisory Group (OSWPAG), I participated in what seemed like a pretend stakeholder discussion of offshore wind facility options. But, when the last OSWPAG rolled around in June 2023, MDOT told us we’d receive their Alternative Analysis as soon as it was available. 

Today, October 11, I learned indirectly that just such an Alternatives Analysis could be found here (https://www.maine.gov/mdot/projects/searsport/windport/), Later I learned that MDOT posted this extensive document, encompassing hundreds of pages with attachments, a week ago.

MDOT is not known for transparency in even the best of times. But for a MDOT spokesperson to claim that posting this material would “not likely be of interest to the public” and was therefore not made known to OSWPAG members, media or the public, elevates hypocrisy to a whole new level.

Thousands of people have expressed interest in this matter, many describing very real concerns. Media across Maine and some national media reported on aspects of the Mack Point versus Sears Island siting issue. Shame on MDOT if that public interest isn’t overwhelmingly apparent to them!

I urge all of you to look for yourselves and ask questions. For example, how did a minimum 800-foot width for the facility become a criterion when that is not listed as a criteria earlier in the analysis? And why is a flat facility site also an absolute criterion? Desirable is not the same as necessary. 

You might start with the Pre-Application Alternatives Analysis document itself, found here.

Steve Miller lives on Islesboro