Maryland steps forward in offshore wind

Currently, the U.S. Interior Department is asking companies to come forward if they're interested in taking on the project.

Maryland is moving closer to bringing offshore wind to its coast. Gov. Martin O’Malley and the Maryland Energy Administration announced that the federal government has accepted planning recommendations made by the state. Maryland is only the second state in the nation to reach this point in the process (after Delaware).

“Today’s announcement marks another step forward for Maryland’s new economy,” says Gov. O’Malley. “By harnessing the wind resources off of Maryland’s coast, we can create thousands of green collar jobs, reduce harmful air pollution, and bring much needed, additional clean energy to Maryland.”

The Governor has made offshore wind a priority in Maryland’s efforts to generate 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2022. A 1-GW offshore wind farm off of the state’s coast could create as many as 4,000 jobs in manufacturing and construction during the five-year development period, with an additional 800 permanent jobs once the turbines are spinning.

The western edge of the area for proposed wind generation is located about 10 nautical miles from the Ocean Citycoast and the eastern edge is about 27 nautical miles from the Ocean City coast.  Due to its proximity to planned wind farms in the Mid-Atlantic, as well as the deep water port and manufacturing infrastructure in Baltimore, the state is well positioned for offshore wind energy generation, as well as for ongoing construction and maintenance.

www.maryland.gov