Worcester Co. delegation travels to D.C. to demand halt to offshore wind
WORCESTER COUNTY, Md. – A delegation from Worcester County traveled to Washington, D.C. at the end of April to demand a stop to offshore wind.
Conversation on Capitol Hill
State Senator Mary Beth Carozza (R-Md. District 38) was joined by Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan, as well as Worcester County Commissioner Joe Mitrecic and Adam Showell, Jr., owner and operator of Castle in the Sand Hotel in Ocean City.
The group met with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.). Sen. Carozza said their message was clear: offshore wind is not wanted or needed on the Eastern Shore. At issue: plans for US Wind, the parent company Renexia SpA, to build an offshore wind project about a dozen miles off Ocean City’s coast.
Sen. Carozza told WMDT the negative impacts of such a project would be far-reaching, from the local economy to maritime life, to military and homeland security exercises. She added that, financially, relying on offshore wind does not make sense for local ratepayers.
Is Offshore Wind Right for Worcester County?
US Wind officials have stated the project, which is located in a federal lease area, could generate up to 2 gigawatts of power, powering more than 600,000 homes. Project proponents and US Wind add that offshore wind is beneficial to the environment and would create local jobs.
According to BloombergNEF, wind-generated energy is the best economic choice in markets where firm generation resources already exist and demand is growing. Sen. Carozza said that is not the case on the Eastern Shore. Instead, she said she believes the state should turn to natural gas and nuclear power.
In Somerset County, also part of Sen. Carozza’s district, bringing natural gas to residents was a hard-fought battle. It was the last county in the state to do so.
“We have to be serious about what is currently available, and how are we going to meet Maryland’s needs and generate in-state, and not be so reliant on transmission lines coming in from other states … The bottom line is that it’s just not feasible. I think these companies are going to find that the financials are not there,” Sen. Carozza said.
Looking Ahead
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) has echoed the calls to halt the project. He sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Bergum. And previously, President Donald Trump signed an executive order pushing offshore wind projects in federal waters.
While Sen. Carozza says local efforts are buoyed by the actions and federal conversations, she said local leaders will continue to advocate for a full stop to offshore wind in Ocean City.
“”We are very encouraged by the reception that we received and the fact that we were able to have this high-level meeting in Washington, D.C. on Capitol Hill … With a pause, we would come back and take a look at it. We have requested a halt,” Sen. Carozza said.
WMDT reached out to US Wind for comment and did not hear back.
