A lobster boat passes the country’s first floating wind turbine off the coast of Castine in September 2013. The state finalized a lease agreement for the country’s first floating offshore wind research array this week. Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press

State and federal officials finalized an agreement Monday for an offshore wind research lease in the Gulf of Maine, bringing Maine one step closer to creating the nation’s first floating wind facility.

The lease was first offered by the Federal Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management to the state in May. Gov. Janet Mills announced the formal agreement in a statement Monday afternoon.

The 15-square-mile wind array will include up to a dozen turbines floating nearly 30 miles southeast of Portland, and it is designed to test how ocean ecosystems and users – like shipping and fishing vessels – interact with floating wind farms, the statement said.

“Clean energy from offshore wind offers an historic opportunity for Maine to create good-paying jobs, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and fight climate change,” Mills said. She added that the project will “establish Maine as a leader in responsible offshore wind, in balance with our state’s marine economy and environment.”

The site is expected to produce up to 144 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to power tens of thousands of homes. Maine requested the research lease in 2021. Construction timing will become clearer as permitting and regulatory processes move ahead.

The Mills administration announced in February that it hopes to construct a port on Sears Island to construct and service the turbines.

Eliza Donohue, executive director of the Maine Renewable Energy Association, said the site will “guide industry best practices” while creating opportunities for local businesses to engage with the renewable energy industry.

The site will host experiments designed to explore challenges of floating wind, ways to minimize the impact on local ecosystems and ways to maximize cost efficiencies, as outlined as priority topics by the state’s Offshore Wind Research Consortium.