Published by Maine Public on November 13, 2025.
Supporters of moves to transition Maine’s marine industries away from fossil fuels hope a new public fast charger on the Portland waterfront helps more people switch to all-electric vessels.
The Level 3 charger is the first such device in Portland’s harbor and can serve any high-voltage vessel currently on the market, according to the Greater Portland Council of Governments.
Lia Morris, who researches electric vessels for the Island Institute, said infrastructure like the charger helps overcome a “chicken and egg” problem for the transition to electric vehicles.
“One of the we get asked a lot is, I’m really interested in this, but one, how am I going to pay for it? And two, how am I going to charge it?,” Morris said. “So this feels like the beginning of finding that solution is having some fast charging infrastructure that people can access.”
The charger was installed through a $1 million pilot project coordinated by GPCOG that also helped purchase a 28-foot all electric aluminum barge called Heron operated by Maine Ocean Farms, an oyster company in Freeport. The project was partially funded with a $500,000 grant from the Biden-era U.S. Department of Energy.
