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.
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 »
Maryland denies Ørsted petition to deny application
The Maryland PSC denied a motion filed by Baltimore law firm Venable, LLP, and lead counsel, J. Joseph Curran and partners, to disqualify U.S. Wind’s application for additional round two wind turbines to be sited off the coast of Ocean City. Because Ørsted contended they will not produce wind energy by the required date of 2026 but rather will produce by 2027. The Venable firm asks on behalf of Ørsted that PSC disqualify U.S. Wind’s Bids 2 and 3 from . . . Complete story »
Western Maryland ‘littered with wind turbines’
In response to Dan Rodricks’ column on coal, I would have to say I finally agree with something he wrote. Dan should cheer up, though. Any visitor to Western Maryland will notice that the entire mountain range in Western Maryland is now littered with wind turbines. They were, of course, built and installed by a company outside Maryland, so our state’s economy did not benefit much from their installation. In order to build those turbines, however, we had to clear . . . Complete story »
Spirited debate featured at offshore wind public hearing; City engineer fears ‘a wall of turbines’ on horizon
OCEAN CITY – In an often-spirited, three-hour plus virtual public hearing, the Maryland Public Service Commission heard a wide range of opinions on the proposed next phases of two offshore wind energy projects off the coast of Ocean City. The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) on Tuesday held the first of two virtual public hearings on applications from US Wind and Ørsted for second phases of two offshore wind energy projects off the coast of the resort. In 2017, the PSC . . . Complete story »
Wind turbines are still made of harmful plastic
In the ’60s, the idea was to save the rain forest, so we switched from wood to plastic (vinyl siding & laminated flooring). Today our food comes wrapped in it, our cars are built with it, and we wear clothes made of it. After all plastic is made to last and it does. Every step of its lifecycle, plastic creates greenhouse gas emissions. The world now produces 380 million tons of plastic every year. Public hearings are scheduled on installing . . . Complete story »
Maryland hearing on wind farms reflects divergent views
If the debate during the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) hearing held Tuesday evening had been a prizefight, the referee and judges would likely have called it a draw. Both the pro-wind energy and renewables advocates, and the pro-tourism and those opposed to large-scale wind development off the Atlantic coast were out in force on Sept. 28 to wage a battle for the future of Maryland and Delaware coastlines. The hearing was labeled “Round Two” of the Year One development . . . Complete story »
Ocean City residents, businesses and environmentalists spar again over wind farm expansion proposals
Dozens of Ocean City residents, environmental groups and businesspeople were again split by the latest proposals for wind turbines off Maryland’s coast, during a lengthy hearing before the Maryland Public Service Commission on Tuesday night. The newest proposals come from the two companies that were approved in 2017 to begin constructing wind farms in the water along Ocean City – US Wind and Orsted. Both companies have applied to expand their farms in response to a call from the state for . . . Complete story »
Danish wind farm developer proposes expanded farm off the Eastern Shore and cable manufacturing in Sparrows Point
Offshore wind farm developer Ørsted wants to develop a second phase of its project off the coast of Ocean City, possibly competing with a proposal by US Wind that was unveiled earlier this month. Ørsted’s proposed Skipjack Wind 2, described during a hearing this week before state regulators, would generate 760 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 250,000 homes on the Delmarva peninsula. The project would create 1,000 permanent jobs and include developing a new cable manufacturing plant . . . Complete story »
Offshore wind farms not a hit in Ocean City
US Wind, one of two firms with plans for wind farms off Ocean City, announced at a recent celebratory news conference a deal to bring steel production back to the old Bethlehem Steel site at Sparrows Point. An army of dignitaries and office holders sang the praises of the plan to assemble steel parts for the wind turbines on part of the tract now known as Tradepoint Atlantic. “We’re gonna see manufacturing jobs back and we’re gonna see union jobs,” . . . Complete story »
