BOEM and Maryland ink MOU on coordinated development of offshore wind energy

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The Department of the Interior reports that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the State of Maryland have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support the coordinated development of offshore wind energy generation off Maryland.

Under the MOU, BOEM and the State of Maryland will continue ongoing efforts to explore and identify potential areas for offshore wind leasing. BOEM will also continue to convene the Central Atlantic Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force with the state and other stakeholders to enhance collaboration and address challenges associated with the siting of offshore wind leasing areas. These efforts will support and augment existing and planned coordination for developing offshore wind energy in the Central Atlantic. These collaborative efforts will help support a robust supply chain, yield greater economic return for Maryland and the United States, and create good-paying domestic jobs.

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein and White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi joined Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to make the offshore wind energy announcement at a signing ceremony in Annapolis, Md.

“Maryland will play an important role in helping achieve the Biden-Harris administration’s ambitious renewable energy goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030,” said Secretary Haaland. “Today’s announcement represents another important step towards a clean, reliable energy future with good-paying jobs and economic opportunities that are accessible to communities across America.”

“With today’s partnership agreement, the Biden-Harris administration accelerates our work in lock step with key state partners like Maryland to build the American offshore wind industry, cut energy costs for families, and create thousands of good-paying jobs, all while tackling the climate crisis,” said National Climate Advisor Zaidi. “Thanks to President Biden’s vision and strong partnership with Maryland state and federal leaders, the Biden-Harris administration will continue to work closely with Maryland to responsibly develop additional areas for offshore wind leasing in the Central Atlantic and grow this industry. The Biden-Harris administration will continue to use every available tool to ensure American workers and communities reap the economic and environmental benefits of this growing industry in Maryland and across the country.”

The signing of the new MOU on offshore wind energy came one day after BOEM announced the availability of its final Environmental Assessment (EA), which considers possible impacts from issuing leases for potential offshore wind development off the Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia coasts, including site assessment and site characterization activities such as geophysical, geological, and archaeological surveys. The EA concluded that there would be no significant impacts from lease issuance.

That moves BOEM another step forward towards its plans to hold an offshore wind lease sale in the Central Atlantic later this year.