'Clean energy and good jobs to Delmarva' | Feds run rule over US Wind's 2GW offshore plan
Project envelope for development off Maryland includes contracted offtake with state for more than 1GW of capacity
The US government is set to begin its environmental review of up-to-2GW of offshore wind power capacity being developed by Baltimore-based US Wind off the coast of Maryland that includes two separate projects with contracted offtake exceeding 1GW.
“President Biden has set the bar high for a clean energy future with ambitious offshore wind goals that will lower costs for families, create nearly 80,000 good-paying jobs and make substantive progress as we work to confront the climate crisis,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the agency within the Department of the Interior charged with regulating energy development in federal waters, announced that it would publish its notice of intent (NOI) to conduct an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the offshore wind capacity being developed by US Wind on 8 June.
The NOI publication will initiate a 30-day commenting period ending on 8 July which is aimed at helping BOEM focus the activities of the EIS. During this time, the agency will hold three virtual public meetings and accept comments.
“If approved, this project will represent another step forward to creating a robust offshore wind industry here in the US, all while creating good-paying, family-supporting jobs,” said BOEM director Amanda Lefton.
The COP encompasses the 1.07GW of offshore wind offtake that US Wind has already contracted with the state of Maryland in two separate offshore wind renewable energy credit (OREC) tenders as well as nearly another 1GW of potential capacity for future offtake rounds.
Maryland was an early mover in offshore wind, holding its first tender for OREC capacity in 2017, with US Wind’s MarWin project winning 270MW, while Danish offshore wind developer Orsted took 120MW.
“Today’s announcement marks a significant milestone in US Wind’s efforts to deliver clean energy and good jobs to the Delmarva [Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia] region,” said Jeff Grybowski, US Wind CEO. “BOEM’s decision is a vote of confidence that our project is ready to advance to the next stage in the federal permitting process.”
The EIS will involve multiple government agencies, including the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Army Corps of Engineers, the US Coast Guard, and others, and is expected to run for at least two years.
Josh Kaplowitz, vice president for offshore wind for renewable energy advocacy group American Clean Power Association, said: “US Wind’s investment in the former Bethlehem Steel Sparrow’s Point site for offshore wind development will lead to thousands of jobs being created in the region. We look forward to the American offshore wind industry continuing to invest billions of dollars into the economy and creating tens of thousands of jobs across the country.”