US Wind calls new Maryland offshore wind legislation a “game changer”

Written by Nick Blenkey
Maryland offshore wind

Image: Adobe Stock

US Wind Inc. is applauding the passage of Maryland state legislation that, it says, puts Maryland offshore wind “full steam ahead.” Signed May 9, the law allows qualified offshore wind developers to apply for outstanding Offshore Renewable Energy Credits (“ORECs”) created as a result of changes in the market and to add additional capacity to existing projects. The new law also amends the POWER Act to add an additional solicitation to the state’s Department of General Services offshore wind procurement schedule and removes the cap on the amount of offshore wind energy the state seeks to procure.

“This legislation is a game-changer for the Maryland offshore wind program,” said Jeffrey Grybowski, US Wind CEO. We are grateful for the unwavering support and stalwart leadership of Maryland’s leaders on this critical piece of legislation … I am very confident that we will build Maryland’s first offshore wind farm, first offshore wind manufacturing facility at Sparrows Point, and deliver this clean energy to the people of Delmarva for years to come.”

US Wind, which is majority-owned by Italy’s Renexia SpA, controls the rights to an 80,000-acre lease area located off the coast of Maryland, which is able to support close to 1,800 megawatts (“MW”) of offshore wind energy generation. In October 2023, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”) issued a draft environmental impact statement on the company’s construction and operations plan, putting the company on the path to securing final federal permits by the end of 2024.

The company is also establishing Maryland’s first permanent offshore wind factory – Sparrows Point Steel – at the site of the former Bethlehem Steel Shipyard in Baltimore County to manufacture parts for the U.S. offshore wind industry.

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