Wind Power News: Maryland
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Federal studies back impact of wind turbines
OCEAN CITY — Federal impact studies show areas of the mid-Atlantic coast where offshore wind turbines would have “no significant environmental impact,” the U.S. Interior Secretary announced. The finding means sections of open ocean off the Maryland coast will be made available for long-term leases for the development of wind turbines. “We all know the wind potential off the Atlantic coast is staggering… up to 1,000 gigawatts of power,” said Secretary Ken Salazar. “That’s more than the entire nation’s present . . .
Feds give boost to O’Malley’s wind-energy plan
ANNAPOLIS — Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley’s quest for offshore wind energy got a boost Thursday from the Obama administration, but state lawmakers still have concerns about its cost and whether there is corporate demand and congressional support for the technology. U.S. Interior Secretary Kenneth L. Salazar announced Thursday the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has designated 80,000 acres of water off Maryland’s Atlantic coast that would be suitable for wind farms. Mr. O’Malley, a Democrat, called the development a major . . .
A misguided effort to aid Maryland wind projects
It’s a proposal that might sound great in a stump speech: Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) wants to erect wind turbines off Maryland’s coast, eventually generating perhaps a third of the state’s electricity carbon-free. The plan is central to Mr. O’Malley’s recently announced 2012 agenda. But it’s a bad deal for nearly everyone in Maryland — including people who believe, as we do, in moving away from fossil fuels. Perversely, Mr. O’Malley’s bill would corrupt the anti-carbon policy Maryland already has. . . .
Wind turbine proposal for Tilghman Island draws concern
Several residents spoke out Tuesday against the proposed Tilghman Island wind turbine project during the Talbot County Council’s public hearing on the project. Eleven residents spoke, with four in support and seven against the proposed project. Concerns included financial reasons, decreased tourism and the potential for endangering the bird population. The plan is for a 50-kilowatt unit at 152 feet high with blades 63 feet in diameter and expected to produce about 150,000 kilowatt hours of electricity at the county’s . . .
New O’Malley wind farm proposal still a long shot
In its most important respects, Gov. Martin O’Malley’s new proposal to build a wind farm in the Atlantic Ocean isn’t different from the old one. Developers must still pay hundreds of millions of dollars to build wind turbines off Maryland’s coast. And Maryland electricity customers still have to pay for them. Everything else is detail. That’s why the project, proposed Monday by the governor for the second year in a row, still faces very long odds. Fiddling with the financing . . .
Wind ordinance hearing to proceed
PRINCESS ANNE — Somerset County Commissioners plan to proceed with a public hearing on a proposed wind energy ordinance as the last step in a process to regulate large-scale commercial turbines. The measure recently got a favorable recommendation from the county’s Planning Commission following a Jan. 5 public hearing that drew comment from about nine interested parties, Gary Pusey, the county’s planning director, said this week during a meeting with the Commissioners. County planners spent more than a year working . . .
O’Malley to try again for offshore wind development
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, seeking to overcome the most visible policy failure of his second term, will on Monday introduce a revamped plan to subsidize development of some of the nation’s first offshore wind power. As happened a year ago, lawmakers from both parties and lobbyists for energy firms are poised to line up against the multibillion-dollar subsidy, which would be shouldered by electricity ratepayers. They say it would cost customers too much and leave too much power in the . . .
Labor wants guaranteed role in wind-power plan
Organized labor wants a guaranteed role in the offshore wind project Gov. Martin O’Malley is expected to propose — and the unions want it in writing. The demand by construction unions is the latest hurdle for O’Malley’s effort to spur the creation of a new energy industry off Maryland’s Atlantic coast that would generate energy using enormous wind turbines anchored 10 miles off Ocean City. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said labor raised the issue of a “project labor . . .
Find another way to promote wind power
Count me among the minority. I don’t favor adding $2 to our utility bills to pay for wind mills (“Public favors offshore wind power, poll says,” Jan. 11). While I’m in favor of wind power and yes, $2 is not that much, let’s look at what is really happening here. Electricity generated by any source is not delivered directly to the consumer. It is sold to brokers on the open market who then resell it to the highest bidder. So . . .
You should know more about Roth Rock project
I read with interest the article in the Cumberland Times-News entitled, “By 2013, Western Md. could have more wind turbines” (Jan. 9, Page 1A), by Elaine Blaisdell. It stated that, “The Roth Rock project on Backbone Mountain was started by Synergics, but is now owned by Gestamp Wind North America of Houston.” That is true, but your readers should know that Gestamp Wind is a multinational company based in Spain. Furthermore, the 20 Nordex Wind N90 turbines were made by . . .
