Maryland offshore wind project sued over economic and environmental concerns

Oct 29

Jack Aylmer Energy Correspondent

By Jack Aylmer (Energy Correspondent), Zachary Hill (Video Editor), Ali Caldwell (Graphics)

A proposed offshore wind project off Maryland’s coast is encountering resistance from the nearby community of Ocean City. The city challenged the federal government’s approval of the development and filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). The project aims to generate over 2 gigawatts of renewable energy, potentially powering more than 700,000 homes.

The planned wind farm, located approximately 10 miles off Maryland’s coast, will consist of 1,143 turbines, each exceeding 900 feet in height. Ocean City, several industry groups and Fenwick Island, Delaware, are moving forward with the litigation process against this development in response to concerns about the project’s impact on tourism, fishing and the environment.

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Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan claimed the city’s years-long collaboration with state officials to address these concerns has been met with inadequate responses. He added that the large-scale wind farm could significantly alter the community’s coastline and local economy.

Environmental concerns, particularly for marine wildlife, are also central to the opposition. Local residents worry about potential harm to whale populations from construction activities.

“We have a responsibility to protect our ecosystem, our economy, view shed and our future,” Meehan said in a statement. “For the past seven and half years we have been trying to work with the State of Maryland and the federal government to address our concerns with this project. All of our concerns were either ignored or considered insignificant. It is unfortunate that it has come to this, but the Town was left with no choice but to file suit against BOEM.”

Just days before news of the lawsuit broke, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) established protective regulations to safeguard marine mammals during construction, including required monitoring, safe distancing, and noise reduction measures. These protections will be in effect for five years, with the potential for adjustments as more information about the project’s environmental impact becomes available.

Tags: Marine life, Maryland, NOAA, Offshore wind farms, Wind energy, Wind farms

A PLANNED OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT IN MARYLAND IS FACING LEGAL CHALLENGES FROM ITS SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAYS THIS DEVELOPMENT COULD COULD GENERATE OVER 2 GIGAWATTS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY-

HELPING POWER MORE THAN SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND HOMES

LOCATED TEN MILES OFF THE COAST OF MARYLAND-

THIS WIND FARM WILL CONSIST OF ONE-THOUSAND-ONE-HUNDRED-AND-FORTY-THREE TURBINES, WITH EACH ONE EXCEEDING 900 FEET TALL.

HOWEVER, THE NEARBY COMMUNITY OF OCEAN CITY IS SUING THE BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT-

THE FEDERAL AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALLOWING THIS PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD.

SEVERAL LOCAL INDUSTRY GROUPS AND THE TOWN OF FENWICK ISLAND, DELAWARE HAVE ALSO SIGNED ONTO THE SUIT.

THE MAYOR OF OCEAN CITY SAYS HIS COMMUNITY HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE STATE FOR OVER SEVEN YEARS TO ADDRESS CONCERNS SURROUNDING THIS PLANNED OFFSHORE WIND FARM.

BUT THAT ALL THE POINTS THEY RAISED WERE EITHER IGNORED OR DEEMED INSIGNIFICANT.

ADDING THAT HE’S WORRIED INDUSTRIALIZING OCEAN CITY’S COASTLINE WILL HAMPER TOURISM AND OTHER REGIONALLY VITAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES LIKE FISHING.

CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROJECT’S ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT HAVE ALSO BEEN A POINT OF CONTENTION-

AS RESIDENTS FEAR ITS CONSTRUCTION WILL HARM LOCAL WHALE POPULATIONS.

NEWS OF THIS PENDING LITIGATION COMES JUST DAYS AFTER THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION FINALIZED PROTECTIONS FOR MARINE MAMMALS WHILE THE WIND FARM IS BEING BUILT.

REQUIRING THAT THE AREA BE MONITORED FOR MARINE MAMMALS, SAFE DISTANCES FROM THESE ANIMALS BE MAINTAINED, AND MEASURES ARE FOLLOWED TO REDUCE NOISE FROM CONSTRUCTION.

THESE REGULATIONS WILL BE SET IN EFFECT FOR FIVE YEARS, WITH POTENTIAL ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON ONGOING RESEARCH INTO THE PROJECT’S IMPACT ON WILDLIFE.

TO FOLLOW THIS DEVELOPING RENEWABLE ENERGY STORY IN MARYLAND, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP AND SIGN UP FOR ALERTS FROM ME – JACK AYLMER.