Ocean City remains defiant as US Wind clears last Maryland hurdle for big turbine project

• US Wind received final state approval for its wind farm project off Ocean City's coast, despite local opposition.
• Ocean City's mayor remains strongly opposed to the project, citing potential negative impacts on tourism and the environment.
• State Senator Carozza echoed these concerns, calling offshore wind energy "intermittent and unreliable."

As US Wind has cleared the final Maryland-level hurdle needed to begin construction of its proposed wind farm off Delmarva, Ocean City's mayor remains determined to block the project he calls a "wind turbine graveyard off of our coast."

Here's the latest on Maryland's move, reaction from US Wind, Ocean City, Maryland Mayor Rick Meehan and Maryland state Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-38), and the executive action from President Donald Trump looming over it all.

Air quality permit is final Maryland-level hurdle for project off Ocean City

In its June 6 action, the Maryland Department of the Environment made its final determination to issue a "Permit to Construct, a Prevention of Significant Deterioration Approval and New Source Review Approval" for US Wind's project. This air quality permit was the final green light needed, at least on the state level, for US Wind's plan to construct more than 100 offshore turbines about 10 nautical miles off the coast of Worcester County.

On the federal level, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued ifs final approval for the project in December, though several potential roadblocks still remain.

US Wind welcomes approval to produce 'homegrown energy'

US Wind's CEO hailed the big Maryland development and confirmed it's indeed the final hurdle needed on the Maryland level.

“After a thorough, science-based review process and multiple opportunities for feedback from the community, we’re pleased to have secured this final permit from the Maryland Department of the Environment,” said Jeff Grybowski, US Wind CEO. “US Wind’s projects will produce massive amounts of homegrown energy and will help satisfy the region’s critical need for more electricity. We look forward to continued engagement with the state as work to bring this critical energy project online.”

Ocean City mayor remains defiant, calls approval 'unconscionable'

After the Maryland Department of the Environment announcement, Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan issued this statement condemning the move.

“It is unconscionable to believe that the Maryland Department of Environment is ignoring pre-established permitting deadlines and fundamentally ignoring every shred of feedback offered by those who will be directly involved if this poorly conceived and potentially disastrous offshore wind project is allowed to move forward. The entire economy of our coastal resort town is dependent on tourism, our eco system, and commercial fishing, all of which will be significantly impacted if hundreds of these giant eyesores are constructed 10 miles from our beaches.

"Our city, our county, and our residents do not want this project to move forward, yet the state seems resolute on forcing it upon us. We will continue fighting this project forcefully in court and with those policymakers who have the power to stop it. It is time to put an end to subsidizing this cash cow for US Wind and for the state to invest time and energy on more realistic forms of alternative energy before we end up with a wind turbine graveyard off of our coast and the multi-generational nightmare of repairing our environment and economy.”

On Oct. 25, 2024, the town of Ocean City retained Marzulla Law LLC and has now actively filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and other federal agencies regarding the US Wind project.

Sen. Carozza: 'Offshore wind is intermittent and unreliable'

Sen. Mary Beth Carozza, who noted she testified against US Wind’s air quality permit application during a public hearing held by the Maryland Department of the Environment on Jan. 9 at the Ocean City Convention Center, issued the following statement:

“The State of Maryland should be focused on lowering energy costs for the ratepayers, and not pushing costly, subsidized offshore wind energy development, which is the most expensive generating technology,” said Sen. Carozza. “Offshore wind is intermittent and unreliable, and we are finding more and more negative impacts across the board. As more and more Marylanders learn the true costs and negative impacts of the industrialization of our ocean, the Stop Offshore Wind movement continues to grow each day. We need our voices heard by the Governor and all his Administration.

"Opposition to US Wind’s proposed offshore wind energy project continues to mount with a working coalition made up of local residents and visitors, commercial watermen, boaters, environmentalists, hotel, motel, and restaurant operators, small business owners and their employees, elected officials at every level of government, and a growing number of concerned residents from across the State of Maryland."

President Donald Trump's action on wind energy hovers over project

Looming over all of these plans, of course, is President Donald Trump's executive order calling for "Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf from Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects," signed on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.

Critics of wind energy and the US Wind project in particular are hoping Trump will go further and permanently halt any further offshore development.