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Wind power in Maryland

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2003 US Department of Energy wind resource map of Maryland

Wind power in Maryland, which has land-based and offshore resources, is in the early stages of development.[1][2][3] As of 2016, Maryland has 191 megawatts (MW) of wind powered electricity generating capacity, responsible for 1.4% of in-state generated electricity.[4] Two offshore wind farm projects that will supply wind-generated power to the state are underway.

The Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013 encouraged the development of up to 500 MW of offshore wind capacity, authorized $1.7 billion in subsidies for the next 20 years for Maryland offshore wind development. In 2023, the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources Act set a goal of 8.5 gigawatts of offshore wind, up from 2 GW. It also calls for shared transmission infrastructure, reducing costs for projects.[5]

Land-based projects

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  • Criterion Wind Project
  • Great Bay Wind Energy Center is a proposed wind farm that will utilize coastal winds in Somerset County[6] The $200-million, 150-megawatt facility is being undertaken by Texas-based Pioneer Green Energy which proposes to Initially build twenty-five 599 ft (183 m) wind turbines. A second phase would add another 25 turbines.[7] A single turbine has been proposed as a demo to overcome public adversion to the project.[8]

Offshore projects

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An area of 94 square nautical miles (79,706 acres) approximately 10–30 miles off the Maryland coast has been identified as suitable for offshore wind development. This was split into two (north and south) lease areas and auctioned by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on August 19, 2014.[9] The Maryland Wind Energy Area is located, at its closest point, about 10 nautical miles offshore Ocean City in the Outer Continental Shelf of Atlantic Ocean and has the potential to support between 850 and 1450 megawatts of commercial wind generation.[10]

Wind farm Offshore BOEM wind energy lease area Coordinates Capacity
(MW) 		Developer/Utility Turbines States Regulatory agency Refs
MarWin
Offshore Maryland
OCS-A 0490[11]		 17 nautical miles -20 miles (32 km) east of Ocean City (MA) 79,707 acres (32,256 ha) 248 MW US Wind 32 MD Maryland PSC [12][13][14][15][16][17]
Skipjack Offshore Delaware
OCS-A 0519[18]		 16.9 nautical miles-19.5 miles (31.4 km) from Delaware coast north of Maryland WEA 26,332 acres (10,656 ha)[19] 966 MW Ørsted 10 12MW GE Haliade-X MD Maryland PSC [15][16][20][21][22]

MarWin

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In 2014, US Wind, a subsidiary of Italy-based Renexia SpA, won the auction for a 25-year leases for both areas issued by the BOEM with a bid of $8.7 million for areas.[23][24] Development of their project is hindered by the uncertainty of government direction since the state legislature and local governments are considering banning certain areas.[25] As of the summer of 2016 US Wind has completed underwater surveys of the potential sites about a dozen miles off the coast of Maryland and is submitting plans for environmental review by year end.[26]

Skipjack

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The 966 MW Skipjack Wind Farm off Delaware's coast was planned for commissioning in 2022 but it has been delayed to 2026. It will use Haliade-X turbines, with rotors 220 meters long, made in Cherbourg, France.[27]

Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind will partner with a logistics center in Maryland to create a 50-acre staging center for offshore wind manufacturing, capable of servicing projects up and down the East Coast. The developer will work with Tradepoint Atlantic, based in Port of Baltimore, to develop a staging area for on-land assembly, storage and loading out into deep waters.[28][22]

The Port of Paulsboro on the Delaware River in New Jersey could become the production site for the enormous concrete foundations for turbines.[29]

Ørsted has proposed using 1.5 acres of land at Fenwick Island State Park in Delaware as a transmission point.[30]

Statistics

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Maryland Wind Generation Capacity by Year
Megawatts of Wind Capacity [31]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "MEA-Wind Energy". Maryland.gov. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  2. ^ "Maryland's Offshore Wind Power Potential : A Report Sponsored by the Abell Foundation and Prepared by the University of Delaware's Center for Carbon-free Power Integration, College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment" (PDF). Abell.org. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  3. ^ "Maryland Activities". Boem.gov. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  4. ^ "Maryland Wind Energy" (PDF). U.S. Wind Energy State Facts. American Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  5. ^ Worthington, Aliza (2023-04-10). "General Assembly passes legislation to expand Maryland offshore wind". Baltimore Fishbowl. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  6. ^ "Maryland's $200 Million Wind Energy Project Will Move Forward Thanks To Governor's Veto". ThinkProgress.org. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  7. ^ "COHEN: Giant wind farm could deal the Chesapeake Bay a heavy blow". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  8. ^ Unknown [permanent dead link‍]
  9. ^ "Offshore Wind Energy". Umces.edu. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  10. ^ "Offshore Wind for Maryland" Presentation Map, Governor of Maryland, February 2, 2012. Accessed: 17 October 2013.
  11. ^ "Maryland Activities | Bureau of Ocean Energy Management".
  12. ^ "US Wind Maryland (MarWin) - Offshore Wind Farm Project | 4C Offshore". www.4coffshore.com.
  13. ^ "Maryland Offshore Wind Project". Archived from the original on 2019-12-04. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
  14. ^ Cichon, Meg. "Third US Offshore Wind Lease Auction Goes to Italy-based US Wind" 20 August 2014. Accessed: 10 December 2014.
  15. ^ a b Rentsch, Julia. "Taller, more distant turbines put Ocean City offshore wind projects back under state review". Delmarva Daily Times.
  16. ^ a b "Maryland PSC Gives Go-Ahead to US Wind, Deepwater Wind Projects". Offshore Wind. May 11, 2017.
  17. ^ "Interior Auctions 80,000 Acres Offshore Maryland for Wind Energy Development, Advances President's Climate Action Plan". www.doi.gov. August 19, 2014.
  18. ^ "Delaware Activities | Bureau of Ocean Energy Management".
  19. ^ "Map of Delaware Offshore Lease Blocks" (JPG).
  20. ^ "Skipjack - Offshore Wind Farm Project | 4C Offshore". www.4coffshore.com.
  21. ^ "Skyscrapers in the sea: Wind turbines, 853 feet tall, planned off Delaware coast".
  22. ^ a b Condon, Christine (2021-03-17). "Port upgrades complete at Tradepoint Atlantic site where wind turbines for Ocean City will be assembled". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  23. ^ "Interior Auctions 80,000 Acres Offshore Maryland for Wind Energy Development, Advances President's Climate Action Plan". Doi.gov. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  24. ^ Aaron Nathans The News Journal, The News Journal (20 August 2014). "Md. takes step closer to offshore wind turbines". Delawareonline. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  25. ^ Baltimore Sun (6 April 2015). "Shore wind project scrapped amid political roadblocks". Baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  26. ^ Wheeler, Timothy B. "Planning for Md. offshore wind project gets underway". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
  27. ^ Kellner, Tomas (2019-09-19). "The Coast With The Most: Two New U.S. Offshore Wind Farms Will Use The World's Most Powerful Turbines". GE Reports. Retrieved 2019-09-28.
  28. ^ "Ørsted to develop offshore wind manufacturing hub to service East Coast". Utility Dive.
  29. ^ Stromsta, Karl-Erik (July 3, 2019). "Orsted and Germany's EEW Plan Offshore Wind Factory in New Jersey". www.greentechmedia.com. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  30. ^ "Offshore wind company wants to build on state parkland, offering upgrades in exchange". delawareonline.
  31. ^ WINDExchange: U.S. Installed and Potential Wind Power Capacity and Generation
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