TNC ME Campaign Impact Report 2024 - Flipbook - Page 6
CLIMATE & skies
HARNESSING THE WIND
Maine has New England’s highest per-person carbon
emissions—and if we don’t find ways to end our
dependence on fossil fuels, the consequences to
people and nature will be devastating. Guided by the
Maine Won’t Wait Climate Action Plan, which TNC
Maine staff and trustees directly contributed to, Maine
is now aiming to source 100% of our energy from
renewable sources by 2040.
We need to transition rapidly to clean energy—but
we also need to act thoughtfully and avoid doing
irreparable harm to vulnerable ecosystems and
coastal communities. That’s why TNC Maine’s Marine
Scientist Dr. Jocelyn Runnebaum, who participates in
the State of Maine’s Offshore Wind Initiative Research
Consortium, has been working closely with TNC policy
experts and social scientists to develop approaches
that work across the region. Dr. Runnebaum is advising
the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM) on designing an inclusive and data-driven process for making decisions about siting offshore wind—and
identifying research needs to understand how this new industry interacts with the environment and existing ocean users.
After weighing input from TNC and partner organizations, fishing communities, and tribal governments, BOEM
authorized a wind energy area for potential lease sales in the Gulf of Maine in March 2024. The area avoids key
lobster fishing areas near Maine’s coast as well as habitat conservation areas and known deep-sea coral colonies. The
area has the potential to eventually generate an impressive 32 GW of energy—enough to power 10 million homes.
Climate change and biodiversity loss are complex problems. But when we listen to each other and work together,
we can develop effective solutions.
Our Goals by 2024
Air
48% Renewably Sourced
GOAL: 55% RENEWABLY SOURCED
87%
Percent of electricity supply in Maine provided by renewable sources
24.19 MMTCO2e
GOAL: 25.41 MMTCO2E
151%
Reduction in Maine greenhouse gas emissions (in million metric tons of CO2 equivalent)
6 | A TOUR OF YOUR IMPACT
