Offshore wind is one of Maryland’s most abundant natural resources and our position as a coastal state with technology and innovation hubs makes us uniquely situated to take advantage of this growing industry. Current projects will bring over 2,000 megawatts of clean electricity onto Maryland’s grid AND generate over 10,000 new jobs. With new lease areas coming to the Central Atlantic and increased incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act, it is the ideal time to increase Maryland’s offshore wind energy development.
Furthermore, Maryland has set ambitious climate pollution reduction goals with the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022. In order to meet our targets and make Maryland a leader in the offshore wind industry, we must act in 2023!
The Maryland General Assembly must:
1. Set a goal of developing 8,500 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2031
2. Direct the Public Service Commission to competitively solicit proposals for a coordinated offshore wind transmission project
3. Direct the state to purchase energy from offshore wind projects to meet the state government’s energy needs
4. Require offshore wind energy projects and transmission projects to meet local hiring and labor standards
5. Harness federal funding available from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to lower energy costs
