
Christine Hill worked with community members and organizations to increase awareness about offshore windpower.
Propelled by the effects of climate change and seeing an ideal location for offshore wind, the Sierra Club of Maryland spent years championing the Maryland Offshore Energy Act of 2013. Finally, on April 9, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed the legislation, which creates incentives to develop up to 500 MW of offshore wind capacity.
Skepticism and perceived cost, however, put the legislation at risk. The Sierra Club and other organizations within the Marylanders for Offshore Windpower coalition worked since 2010 to raise awareness about offshore wind technology and the jobs it could create — efforts that ultimately helped pass the bill.
How did they do it? “Power in the voice,” Sierra Club campaign and policy representative Christine Hill says. “The more organizations that come together to work on issues, the more powerful you are.” In this WindTalk podcast, Hill discusses the bill, the awareness campaign, offshore wind potential, and her own vision for Maryland’s renewable energy future, and more:
Filed Under: Offshore wind, Podcasts