US Wind’s wind project off Maryland is now clear to begin construction after receiving the final required permit from the state.
The final approval by the Maryland Department of the Environment was for the air quality permit application submitted by the company in November 2023.
Under the construction plan, the project, located some 15 km off Worcester County, can have up to 114 wind turbines and four offshore substations. US Wind has not proposed a specific wind turbine model, but it is considering turbine models with individual nameplates of up to 18MW. At most, the wind farm will have a capacity of 2,052MW.
“The Department has reviewed the application, and the comments received and has determined that the proposed construction and commissioning of the offshore wind project would not cause violations of any applicable air pollution control regulations,” the Department stated.
This was the last permit required from the state, while the final federal permit was awarded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in December.
“US Wind’s projects will produce massive amounts of homegrown energy and will help satisfy the region’s critical need for more electricity,” said Jeff Grybowski, US Wind CEO.
However, further project development is still not clear-cut. Aside from the looming distaste for offshore wind from the Trump Administration, there is an ongoing lawsuit challenging BOEM’s approval.
Another issue lies in Sussex County in the state of Delaware, where US Wind power lines from the turbines are supposed to land onshore. The proposed substation is currently under challenge as well.
This brand-new Maryland permit can also be challenged through a petition with the Clerk of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Appeals Board.
The decision to grant the permit was immediately hit with opposition in the form of Maryland senator Mary Beth Carozza, who blasted the decision, and even the Ocean City mayor.
“The entire economy of our coastal resort town is dependent on tourism, our ecosystem, and commercial fishing, all of which will be significantly impacted if hundreds of these giant eyesores are constructed 10 miles from our beaches,” said Rick Meehan, Ocean City mayor.
