OCEAN CITY — US Wind, one of two companies pursuing an offshore wind energy farm off the coast of the Ocean City, has announced major progress in its efforts including a second phase that could potentially add more turbines.
US Wind announced major labor agreements to support the company’s proposed first phase, the 22-turbine MarWin project and also announced an agreement with Tradepoint Atlantic to develop a new port facility and manufacturing hub at Sparrows Point in Baltimore County.
Perhaps most importantly, at least locally, US Wind announced it has applied for a second phase called Momentum Wind. At future full capacity if approved, US Wind’s Momentum Wind project would include up to 82 turbines that would generate 1,200 megawatts and would be the state’s most ambitious clean energy project. The company’s already-approved MarWin project includes 22 turbines sited about 17 miles off the coast of the resort.
US Wind announced it had reached an agreement with Tradepoint Atlantic to develop 90 waterfront acres at Sparrows Point in Baltimore County with a steel fabrication facility. Called Sparrows Point Steel, the facility would be sited roughly on the historic Bethlehem Steel site.
“Because of the successes we have achieved in the development of MarWin, US Wind is ready to offer Maryland its most ambitious clean energy project to date, and with it, the state’s first permanent offshore wind steel facility,” said US Wind CEO Jeff Grybowski. “Developing Momentum Wind and Sparrows Point Steel at full capacity will give Maryland the opportunity to bring steel back the Baltimore and become the epicenter of offshore wind manufacturing.”
In 2014, US Wind acquired an 80,000-acre federal lease area off the coast of Ocean City to develop an offshore wind energy farm. In 2017, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) awarded US Wind the Offshore Renewable Energy Credits, or ORECs, for the first phase of its MarWin project.
The first-phase Marwin project is currently going through the federal regulatory approval process with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). If approved, the second-phase Momentum Wind project would be paired with the Sparrows Point Steel facility in Baltimore County, which would exclusively fabricate towers, turbine blades and other equipment related to offshore wind for US Wind.
