Participants include business leaders, union representatives, environmentalists,and political leaders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DECEMBER 4, 2010

Contact:

Jamie Nolan, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, jamie@chesapeakeclimate.org

Hundreds Gather at First Offshore Wind Conference in Maryland; Call on State General Assembly to Pass Legislation to Create Jobs and Clean Energy

Participants include business leaders, union representatives, environmentalists, and political leaders

ANNAPOLIS – Over three hundred noted leaders and grassroots activists from across Maryland gathered in Annapolis Saturday to promote new jobs and clean energy at the first “Citizens’ Conference on Offshore Wind Power.” Steelworkers and environmentalists sat next to investment partners with Google Inc. to make the case, ending with a colorful march to the Statehouse steps.

“In a stalled economy, few industries have the potential to bring more jobs to our state than the renewable offshore wind industry,” said Jim Strong, Sub-District Director of the United Steelworkers in Maryland. “We want to make sure our state leads in this economic and environmental area and is not left behind by other states.”

Key participants at the daylong conference praised Governor Martin O’Malley’s push for offshore wind development and called on the Maryland General Assembly to pass legislation in 2011 ensuring that state utilities purchase a modest percentage of their power from offshore wind farms.

Participants included Majority Leaders from both the Maryland House of Delegates and Senate, noted environmental leaders like Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute, and Robert Mitchell of the Trans-Elect/Google, Inc offshore wind transmission project. There was also an appearance by “Wonder Wind,” a clean energy superhero dressed in a Superman-type costume with a windmill across her chest, citing statistics about the benefits of wind.

Estimates show that Maryland and the rest of the Chesapeake Region could meet one third of its electricity needs with modern windmills placed ten miles or more off the Atlantic shoreline. This would create thousands of jobs and help stabilize electricity rates while protecting birds and marine life.

“Rarely do you see such a strong coalition united behind so many benefits,” said Mike Tidwell of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, one of the key sponsors of the event. “When you can create jobs, protect consumers, and help fight global warming, you’ve got the ultimate win-win-win.”

Kumar Barve (D-District 17), the Majority Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates, reiterated the point.

“Offshore wind provides Maryland with reliability across the board,” said Barve. “Those are: reliable prices, reliable supply, reliable jobs, and a reliable global climate. These make for a strong and exciting case for forward-thinking legislation.”

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