Rhode Island Energy looks to Maine onshore wind farm to boost renewable electricity supply

After a series of failed attempts to add more offshore wind power to Rhode Island’s energy portfolio, the state utility operator has turned landward.

Rhode Island Energy announced Tuesday that it has tentatively agreed to buy 150 megawatts of wind-powered electricity from an onshore wind farm planned for northern Maine. The conditional agreement with project developer Clearway Energy Group remains subject to pricing negotiations — a sticking point for past proposals on offshore wind projects — and also requires approval from the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission.

Onshore wind projects have not been spared from the Trump administration’s attacks on renewable energy projects. Federal regulators paused permits on land wind and solar projects beginning in July 2025, setting off an escalating legal battle as project developers and Democratic attorneys general — including Rhode Island’s Peter Neronha — sought to overturn the federal freeze. A federal judge in Oregon ordered federal regulators to resume previews under a preliminary injunction issued on Aug. 6. 

The 800-megawatt wind farm planned for Maine’s Aroostook County, near the Canadian border, was not listed as one of the 155 projects subject to the federal permit freeze. In August, Maine utility regulators authorized the onshore wind array, along with a high-voltage transmission line to connect the wind turbines to the regional electric grid. Both project developers were chosen from a competitive request for proposals that included input from Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont.

Maine has tentatively agreed to buy 600 megawatts of capacity from the project, leaving the remaining 200 megawatts up for grabs. Rhode Island’s tentative power purchase agreement, if solidified, would generate enough electricity to power 73,000 homes while advancing the decarbonization mandates under the state’s 2021 Act on Climate law.

“We are committed to helping advance a reliable, safe, affordable, and increasingly clean energy future for our customers, while supporting Rhode Island’s 2021 Act on Climate requirements,” Greg Cornett, Rhode Island Energy president, said in a statement. “The proposed project offers the opportunity to secure a significant amount of renewable energy through a competitive regional procurement while supporting broader efforts to strengthen New England’s energy infrastructure and diversify the region’s energy supply.”

The project marks the largest onshore wind farm in New England, expected to create more than 2,500 construction jobs and $2.4 billion in economic output, according to Maine utility regulators. The benefits to Maine ratepayers — roughly $400 million including the transmission line — also offer stability to the regional electric grid that includes the rest of New England.

The timeline for Rhode Island Energy to finalize a contract agreement and submit the pricing proposal to the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission was not immediately available. 

Rhode Island’s first large-scale offshore wind project, Revolution Wind, remains on track for completion by the end of the year. Once operational, the 65-turbine project south of Rhode Island will provide enough electricity to power 350,000 homes across Rhode Island and Connecticut.