Another permit approval from Maryland for US Wind’s offshore wind project proposed for off the coast of Ocean City. The Maryland Department of Environment, Air and Radiation Administration 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 has made a final determination to issue the permit-to-construct, an application for a New Source Review (NSR) Approval, and an application for a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Approval – effective June 6, 2025. According to the MDE website, the approvals may be appealed. Petitions for judicial review must be filed by July 14^th.

In Delaware US Wind still needs approval on a conditional use for an electric substation in the Dagsboro area adjacent to the Indian River Power Plant.  This is where the cables that come ashore from the turbines would be connected to generate electricity. The Sussex County Council denied the conditional use last December, but legislation that could overturn that denial, Senate Bill 159, will be heard by the Delaware State Senate on Tuesday.

And next week Ocean City representatives will go to Baltimore for a motions hearing also involving the US Wind project – in the lawsuit against the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. A US District Court judge will hear arguments on June 10^th on motions to dismiss.

Response to the Permit-to-Construct being granted:  

Maryland State Senator Mary Beth Carozza, on Saturday, responded to the MDE permit-to-construct and calls MDE’s decision to grant US Wind’s Air Quality Permit a “blatant disregard of the momentum and growing opposition to the industrialization of the ocean off Maryland’s coast.”  

In response to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE)’s announcement to approve US Wind’s air quality permit-to-construct application, Senator Mary Beth Carozza said, “The approval of US Wind’s air quality permit ignores the numerous concerns outlined by the growing opposition from Maryland residents regarding the negative consequences of this project.”

Senator Mary Beth Carozza, who represents Maryland’s Coast and surrounding areas, joined with local leaders and constituents to testify against US Wind’s air quality permit application during a public hearing held by the Maryland Department of the Environment on January 9th at the Ocean City Convention Center. In her testimony, Senator Carozza raised new questions based on information gathered from the installation of wind turbines in other locations outside of Maryland and the United States.

“I raised new questions about the wake effect which reduces wind speed, making the project inefficient and increasing the ozone levels in the surrounding area,” said Senator Carozza. “The MDE response to this concern was unsatisfactory, and it’s unacceptable that the State agency
focused on the quality of the environment in Maryland would give the go ahead to a project that would have harmful consequences on our Shore way of life.”

“The State of Maryland should be focused on lowering energy costs for the ratepayers, and not pushing costly, subsidized offshore wind energy development, which is the most expensive generating technology,” said Senator Carozza. “Offshore wind is intermittent and unreliable, and we are finding more and more negative impacts across the board. As more and more Marylanders learn the true costs and negative impacts of the industrialization of our ocean, the Stop Offshore Wind movement continues to grow each day. We need our voices heard by the Governor and all his Administration.”

Opposition to US Wind’s proposed offshore wind energy project continues to mount with a working coalition made up of local residents and visitors, commercial watermen, boaters, environmentalists, hotel, motel, and restaurant operators, small business owners and their employees, elected officials at every level of government, and a growing number of concerned residents from across the State of Maryland.