Air quality hearing held for offshore wind farm in Ocean City

Representatives with US Wind say an offshore wind project will provide clean energy, but local officials question the impacts its construction will have on air quality.  

On June 13, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) hosted an informational meeting at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center to gather community input on an air quality permit application US Wind submitted for the construction of its offshore wind project. The agency will use information gathered at the meeting to make its determination on the issuance, denial or revision of the company’s application. 

“They put in an application, and we apply science and the law,” said MDE Deputy Secretary Suzanne Dorsey. “If they meet the standards for the permit, then we can award a permit. Typically, the public process is the public’s, the community’s, opportunity to provide input to shape the conditions of that permit or to tell us why they should or shouldn’t have it.”

US Wind’s project will consist of up to 121 wind turbine generators, up to four offshore substations and one meteorological tower, to be located 10 nautical miles off Ocean City’s coastline on the outer continental shelf. Laurie Jodziewicz, the company’s senior director of environmental affairs, said the air quality permit is one of several permits US Wind is seeking from state and federal agencies.

“Because, during construction, we will be having emissions from the vessels going back and forth, those have to be evaluated and permitted,” she explained. “So that’s what we’re going through today.”

The number of vessels US Wind plans to use for its offshore wind project will depend on the phases of construction, Jodziewicz said. She noted that boats will be used for the construction of the turbines, as well as the laying of cable lines. 

“So it’s not a tremendous number of vessels, but they are pretty large and very specialized,” she said. “There’s only a few of them in the world.”

While noting the emissions that would occur during the construction phase, Jodziewicz said the project also had environmental benefits. Once the project is built out, she said, up to 139 million tons of carbon dioxide could be avoided. If US Wind receives all the required permits, she said the offshore wind project could operate as early as 2027. 

“But we have a lot of steps we need to do to get all the vessels and all those pieces in place,” she added. 

At the local level, however, officials continue to share the concerns regarding US Wind’s plans to construct an offshore project near Ocean City’s coastline. State Sen. Mary Beth Carozza questioned how many vessels would operate during the construction phase and the impacts the project would have on the health and safety of community members. 

“I’m looking at it with a degree of skepticism, in that the initial presentations going back to 2017 of the project, to where we are today, have drastically changed, have been dramatically altered, and are more significant in size as far as the turbines and also the number of miles originally proposed offshore …,” she said. “The project has significantly changed, in our mind, to the detriment of this area.”

Terry McGean, city manager for Ocean City, said the municipality continues to oppose the US Wind project. 

“We’re here to see what MDE has to say about air quality,” McGean said last week. “Looking at the initial application, it’s 36,000 tons of CO2, so it makes me question some of the claims being made about the environmental benefits of this. And all those emissions are local, right to us. So once again, with this project, Ocean City gets all the risk and all the negatives with no input.”

At the state level, elected leaders continue in their efforts to make Maryland more competitive through offshore wind development. Earlier this month, for example, Gov. Wes Moore signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, recognizing the commitments of the federal and state governments to expand offshore wind energy development in the Central Atlantic. Officials say offshore wind projects not only help the state meet its renewable energy goals but provide lower energy costs and new jobs.

“Maryland is serious about offshore wind – not just because of what it means for our environment, but also because of what it means for our economy,” Moore said. “Offshore wind means new manufacturing jobs, higher wages, and more opportunity to grow wealth for Maryland families. I’m grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration and all of our partners at the local, state, and federal levels for their partnership in this work. Together, we will build an economy that is both green and growing.” 

US Wind’s air quality permit application can be found on MDE’s website, mde.maryland.gov. Dorsey said MDE will continue to accept written comments on US Wind’s air quality permit application.