TAKOMA PARK, MD – Yesterday, the Maryland Public Service Commission approved changes to the plans to build offshore wind turbines off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland. This decision allows Skipjack Offshore Energy, a subsidiary of Danish company Ørsted,  to use a model of wind turbine that is more than 800 feet tall — about 200 feet larger than the developer’s initial proposal. 

“Ørsted is pleased that the Maryland Public Service Commission approved the project’s longstanding commitment to use the best commercially available turbine technology,” Brady Walker, Ørsted’s Mid-Atlantic Market Manager, said in a statement. “The project will continue to engage with all stakeholders on creating a project that all Marylanders can be proud of. We look forward to continuing our work in delivering clean and reliable energy to over 35,000 homes in the Delmarva region.”

In response, Mike Tidwell, CCAN Director, stated: 

“We wholeheartedly praise the Public Service Commission for making this decision. Although it has taken longer than any of us imagined it would since we passed the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013, Maryland is now on its way to achieving clean energy through wind power. This news is especially timely as the Coronavirus crisis has devastated Maryland businesses, with one out of every six working Marylanders filing for unemployment since the pandemic started. The state has already paid out $2.2 billion in benefits with more than 70,000 displaced workers. Maryland can rebuild our economy with clean energy and climate action at the core of this recovery. The direct jobs and tax revenue are needed ASAP. And the ‘multiplier effect’ of indirect jobs is exactly what can stimulate our stagnant economy. We thank the Public Service Commission and we look forward to seeing this clean energy project completed in our state.”

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CONTACT: 
Mike Tidwell, Director, mtidwell@chesapeakeclimate.org, 240-460-5838
Stacy Miller, Digital Campaigns Coordinator, stacy@chesapeakeclimate.org, 518-852-0836