Sept. 5 (UPI) — The long-planned Maryland Offshore Wind Project, which aims to deliver more than 2 gigawatts of clean energy to two states, landed final approval from the Biden administration on Thursday.
The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has officially signed off on the nation’s 10th offshore wind project after more than a decade of efforts, Acting Deputy Interior Secretary Laura Daniel-Davis announced.
As planned by developer U.S. Wind Inc., of Baltimore, the project seeks to generate more than 2 gigawatts of clean, renewable energy for Maryland and Delaware and power over 718,000 homes over two construction phases.
The administration forecasts the development and construction phases of the Maryland project will support more than 2,500 jobs annually over a seven-year span. The lease area is 8.7 nautical miles offshore of Maryland and 9 nautical miles from Sussex County, Delaware, at its closest points to shore.
With Thursday’s approval, the Biden administration has signed off on more than 15 gigawatts of clean energy from offshore wind energy projects — equivalent to half of the capacity needed to achieve President Joe Biden‘s goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030.
That record represents a “total game-change” from the zero projects approved before Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took office in 2021, added White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi.
“From port infrastructure upgrades and new tax credits to speeding responsible and efficient permitting, we are using every tool available to continue turbocharging this industry and delivering a clean energy future for the nation,” he said.
Biden said in a statement that for the remainder of his tenure in office, the White House “will continue to partner with industry, Tribes, ocean users, and other stakeholders to support supply chains that are Made in America, incentivize union-built projects, and continue seizing opportunities for additional clean energy technologies.”
BOEM first awarded the Maryland’s project lease to U.S. Wind in 2014 under the administration of President Barack Obama, but it wasn’t until 10 years later that project got the official go-ahead to proceed.
One of the obstacles it has faced in recent years is opposition from officials in Ocean City, Md., who fear the installation of up to 114 wind turbine generators, up to four offshore substation platforms, a meteorological tower and offshore export cable corridors will interfere with its vital tourism industry.
Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan said last month the city would likely sue if the Interior Department issued an approval.