U.S. Interior Releases Draft Review of Wind Project Offshore Maryland

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Oct. 6 announced the availability of its draft environmental impact statement for the construction and operations plan presented by US Wind Inc. for its planned Maryland Offshore Wind Project.

The draft evaluates the possible environmental impacts of the state’s offshore wind projects and offers amendments to the planned action. US Wind Inc. pursues authorization to build, operate and maintain a wind facility, with up to 2.2 gigawatts (GW) on the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of Maryland. The project includes MarWin and Momentum Wind for which Maryland awarded offshore renewable energy credits in 2017 and 2021, respectively, as well as the buildout of the remainder of the lease area to meet government-sanctioned demand. Marwin is a proposed 300-megawatt wind farm and Momentum Wind consists of about 808 megawatts.

Earlier in the year, Maryland enacted the Offshore Wind Energy Resources (POWER) Act of 2023, which increased the state’s offshore wind generation target to 8.5 GW by 2031. Offshore wind projects are expected to help the state revitalise sectors of the economy such as manufacturing, maritime and port logistic industries. Moreover, the legislation aims to enhance the state’s transmission infrastructure and make certain impartial opportunities for local unions. As it stands, Maryland has four offshore wind projects approved that are expected to provide a combined electricity capacity of around 2 GW by 2026.

Last month, the bureau completed its environmental review for two major projects. Dominion Energy Inc.’s proposed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project off Virginia would provide up to 3 gigawatts (GW) of wind energy. The proposed Empire Wind Farm Project off New York. The proposal, a joint venture of Equinor ASA and bp plc, consists of Empire Wind 1 and Empire Wind 2, which together are expected to generate up to 2,076 megawatts of energy, capable of powering more than 700,000 homes.

Comments on the draft review of US. Wind’s project are due by Nov. 20, 2023. Moreover, the bureau will organize four public hearings, in order to address comments and concerns. The final environmental review will inform the bureau’s decision.