Gov. Janet Mills on Friday urged the federal government to include fishermen in plans for commercial offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Maine.

In a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Mills said she supports the Biden Administration’s commitment to offshore wind but encouraged them to take a research-driven approach.

“My administration has committed to pursuing offshore wind energy in a way that works best – a thoughtful, deliberate and responsible approach that leads with listening to those for whom offshore wind may not be viewed as opportunity but as a threat to their way of life,” she wrote.

The state has applied to the federal government for the nation’s first research site for floating offshore wind following a year of dialogue and analysis, according to a press release from Mills’ office.

Mills also asked the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to reconvene the Gulf of Maine Offshore Wind Task Force that includes Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Last month, Haaland announced plans for up to seven new offshore lease sites by 2025 including the Gulf of Maine, New York Bight, Central Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.