Wednesday, January 23, 2013

O'Malley Proposes Offshore Wind Power, Again

Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013
Governor Martin O’Malley introduced the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013. Identical in all substantive respects to the bill that overwhelmingly passed the House of Delegates last year, this measure will operate within Maryland’s existing Renewable Portfolio Standard to create a framework that will support a major offshore wind project.

Based on a report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a major 200 MW project would create almost 850 manufacturing and construction jobs for five years and an additional 160 ongoing supply and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) jobs thereafter. Additional projects, both in Maryland and in the region, would lead to a significant new sustainable industry for Maryland workers.
However, since wind power requires an active online backup when, as it inevitably does, the wind fails, this won't substantially reduce the amount of coal burned to produce power for Maryland.
Working with the U.S. Department of Interior, Maryland agencies have helped designate a Maryland “Wind Energy Area” 10 nautical miles east of Ocean City that is expected to be leased to developers later this year.
I'll miss the Bald Eagles, Ospreys and sea ducks.

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