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 do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Ocean City fishermen say US Wind is to blame for their damaged gear
DELMARVA— Some fishermen out of Ocean City claim their gear is being damaged by the company that wants to build a wind farm off the coast. One fisherman is claiming more than a hundred thousand dollars worth of lost equipment. Jimmy Hahn has been in the business for 30 years. He said multiple pots have been damaged and towed by US Wind, who denies those allegations. Hahn showed WRDE a video he shot with his phone when he was out . . . Complete story »
$11M research to study offshore wind farm impacts on local species
Maryland is vying to be one of the East Coast’s most important hubs for offshore wind energy, but there’s still the unknown about how massive wind farms will affect marine life just off the state’s shore. That’s why Baltimore-based US Wind, one of the companies planning to build wind turbines off the coast of Ocean City in the next decade, is funding research into how its wind farms will affect Maryland’s marine mammals, fish and birds, in partnership with the . . . Complete story »
Impact on marine mammals, fish and birds focus of new wind energy studies
$11 million over 10 years are the final numbers in a deal between US Wind and the University of Maryland for three research projects to study the impacts of offshore wind. The agreement between the company and the university’s Center for Environmental Science was announced Thursday, with the focus of the projects being repercussions of offshore wind farms on marine mammals, fish, and birds. The research will take place in US Wind’s 80,000-acre federal lease area off the coast of . . . Complete story »
Fenwick council requests 30-mile exclusion for turbines
The Fenwick Island Town Council on Friday, March 4, approved a resolution requesting that a federal agency that issues licenses for offshore wind farms require that wind turbines be placed at least 30 miles from the shoreline. The council made the move following a presentation by Council Member Paul Breger, who chairs the Town’s Environmental Committee. The resolution supports federal adoption of a 30-mile “exclusion zone” for offshore wind turbines for the entire state of Delaware. Breger cited precedents set . . . Complete story »
Fenwick seeks exclusion zone for offshore wind projects
FENWICK ISLAND – Fenwick officials are calling on federal agencies to adopt an exclusion zone for offshore wind projects. Last Friday, the Fenwick Island Town Council voted unanimously to adopt a resolution asking federal agencies to update visualizations and radar studies to reflect the larger turbines being proposed for projects off the coast of Delaware and to move offshore wind lease areas at least 30 miles offshore. “If these turbines were out of sight of our tourist population I think . . . Complete story »
Wind reps, Ocean City fisherman still far apart
Offshore wind energy continues to press ahead, and while those companies that intend to erect scores of turbines off the Ocean City coast continue to work on strengthening their ties within the maritime community, chasms remain between their interests and those of commercial and recreational fishermen. Last week, representatives from US Wind – Director of External Affairs Nancy Sopko, Director of Marine Affairs Ben Cooper and Fisheries Liaison Ron Larsen – briefed the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council on their progress in the . . . Complete story »
State commission approves wind farm developers’ second phase plans
OCEAN CITY – The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) approved a second round of offshore wind farm projects, which could greatly expand the spread of significant turbines off the resort coast. Last Friday, the PSC approved offshore renewable energy credits, or ORECs, for two, second-phase offshore wind energy projects off the coast of Ocean City. In 2017, the PSC approved ORECs for two projects including US Wind’s Marwin project and Orsted’s Skipjack 1 project. Those first-phase projects are currently going through . . . Complete story »
US Wind, Ørsted get green light for expanded Ocean City offshore wind projects
Offshore wind projects are moving forward after a Maryland Public Service Commission decision to grant more offshore wind credits to proposals by US Wind and Ørsted. The offshore wind renewable energy credits were given to the companies amid a total combined proposed output of 1600 megawatts of energy to be built off the coast of Maryland, according to the Friday announcement. US Wind will develop 55 turbines for Momentum Wind in addition to the 22 turbines anticipated for MarWin, the . . . Complete story »
Standoff at sea sours fishermen, US Wind relations
After an on-the-water standoff between commercial fisherman Jimmy Hahn and a US Wind survey boat, Rep. Andy Harris met with area fisherman to discuss encroachment into fishing areas. The closed meeting Wednesday, also attended by state Sen. Mary Beth Carozza, R-38-Worcester, included more than 12 fishermen primarily from Ocean City who discussed survey ships damaging potentially lucrative fishing pots in allowed fishing areas. “On Nov. 1 at approximately 3 p.m., we were on on our way to set more conch . . . Complete story »
Watermen, elected officials meet over offshore conflict; Commercial fisherman’s conch pots destroyed by wind farm survey boat
OCEAN CITY – There was a brief confrontation last week between a local commercial fishing boat and an offshore wind survey vessel, which ran afoul of the fishing boat’s gear, resulting in a meeting this week with elected officials. Last week, a US Wind vessel surveying offshore was outside the designated lease area and ran through a setup of conch pots and destroyed some of the commercial vessel’s equipment. Captain Jimmy Hahn, whose conch pots were destroyed, briefly confronted the survey . . . Complete story »
