OCEAN CITY – Legislation expanding offshore wind energy in Maryland was signed into law last week.
Last Friday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources (POWER) Act into law. Joined by representatives of offshore wind energy companies at the Tradepoint Atlantic facility in Sparrows Point, Moore highlighted several bills that will allow Maryland to reach its clean energy goals.
“Today I’ve signed legislation to quadruple Maryland’s offshore wind energy goals, reduce greenhouse gas emission in our state, and to provide rebates to businesses that purchase electric vehicles,” he said. “Together we will build on the great work of our partners at Tradepoint Atlantic, Ørsted, and U.S. Wind to build the clean energy future we want to see in Maryland.”
Earlier this month, the Maryland General Assembly passed the POWER Act, which will quadruple Maryland’s offshore wind generation goals from about 2 gigawatts to 8.5 gigawatts by 2031, improve its transmission infrastructure, and provide a pathway to future procurement of offshore wind energy in the state. The law also ensures that offshore wind projects provide equitable opportunities for local unions and minority, women, service-disabled, and veteran-owned businesses to join in Maryland’s ambitious clean energy future.
Proponents of the bill – introduced by Del. Lorig Charkoudian in the House and Sen. Katie Fry Hester in the Senate – say the legislation will advance Maryland’s clean energy initiatives and put the state at the forefront of the offshore wind energy industry.
In separate statements last week, both Ørsted and US Wind, two companies developing offshore wind energy projects off the coast of Maryland, praised the bill’s passage.
“Governor Moore and the Maryland General Assembly’s monumental vision is now Maryland law and we’re hitting the ground running to help achieve its clean energy goals,” said Jeff Grybowski, US Wind CEO. “With the backing of the POWER Act, Maryland is on a clear track to lead the nation in offshore wind manufacturing, jobs and energy generation that will benefit our state for decades to come.”
Offshore wind energy representatives joined the bill signing last Friday at the new Tradepoint Atlantic Facility in Sparrows Point. Ørsted officials say the assembly center will produce components that will be used in offshore wind projects.
“Our new center at Tradepoint Atlantic will enable us to advance the construction of our offshore wind portfolio, deliver clean energy to millions of American homes and further position Maryland as a long-term offshore wind energy hub,” said David Hardy, Group EVP and CEO Americas at Ørsted. “Our Shore-to-Shore supply chain in the State demonstrates that offshore wind doesn’t simply benefit one region of Maryland – it benefits all of Maryland. By signing the historic POWER Act into law, Governor Moore has sent a clear message that Maryland is fully committed to building a strong and equitable clean energy economy for decades to come.”
While some have praised the passage of the POWER Act, others have shared their frustrations.
Opponents say the legislation could potentially bring high-voltage power lines and cable landfalls to Ocean City. Sen. Mary Beth Carozza said she voted against the POWER Act and offered an amendment in committee to prohibit cable and transmission infrastructure landfall in the Town of Ocean City. The amendment, however, was not approved. She also highlighted her concerns about the cost of offshore wind energy and its impacts on marine life, commercial and recreational fishing, viewsheds and ratepayers, to name a few.
“As SB 781 is being pushed by members of the General Assembly, offshore wind developers in New Jersey are seeking more funding from ratepayers and several dead whales and dolphins have washed up on beaches along the East Coast,” she said in a weekly legislative update. “This should be a wake-up call for Maryland.”
In Ocean City, officials continue to push for the relocation of wind turbines off the coast. While he has supported the idea of offshore wind projects and the potential investments they could bring to the area, Mayor Rick Meehan said he was most concerned about the impacts wind turbines would have on the resort’s viewshed.
“All of the goals that the State wishes to achieve with the passage of the POWER Act, and the construction of the wind turbines, will still be achieved if the turbines are located further to the east and out of the view shed of Ocean City. Nothing would change,” he said in a statement this month. “The clean energy goals, the investment by the wind companies in the Baltimore Harbor and throughout the state, all of the promised new jobs, all of this would still happen. Again nothing would change.”
He continued, “This is why it is so frustrating that the concerns expressed by Ocean City are just being totally ignored. I heard the term partners being used over and over again in Annapolis, yet it appears that the one State partner that is being left out of this discussion is Ocean City. We have one chance to get this right, Virginia got it right, North Carolina got it right, and now is the time for Maryland to get it right.”
