Maryland Gov. Moore launches offshore wind initiative

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced this week that Maryland will increase its offshore wind output and prioritize wind energy partnerships to become a leader in offshore wind production.

Moore presented his vision during a keynote address delivered on March 29 at the International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum in Baltimore.

“Here in Maryland, we can have both a growing economy and lead the way in clean energy,” Moore said. “Maryland is rich in natural assets, institutional strength, numerous offshore wind energy partnerships, and a thriving workforce–and I believe if we work together, our state will lead the country in offshore wind energy production.”

Through this initiative, Maryland will seek to quadruple the amount of energy produced by offshore wind from about 2 gigawatts to 8.5 gigawatts. This would be enough to power nearly three million homes. The administration is currently working to establish new lease areas and strengthen the offshore wind supply chain.

This effort will move the state toward its goal of achieving 100 percent clean energy by 2035.

Moore is also looking to build an offshore wind manufacturing yard at Sparrows Point in Baltimore, where the former Bethlehem Steel plant once stood. Orsted has committed to using Tradepoint Atlantic as a logistics hub to assemble advanced foundation components for offshore wind turbines using materials produced on the Eastern Shore at Crystal Steel. These partnerships will create nearly 15,000 jobs.

“The clean energy industry represents tremendous economic benefit for Maryland, and it is important we have a strategy in place to not only grow our existing companies but create a business climate that attracts new clean energy companies and global investment,” Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson said. “Working one-on-one with this industry, we will better understand their challenges and opportunities and help them thrive in our state.”

Further, the governor also announced that the Maryland Department of Commerce has created a dedicated position to ensure industry access to an array of state resources. In short, it will be designed to create an environment conducive to startups. In addition, the Maryland Energy Administration will look to deliver more grants to companies that form key connections along the offshore wind supply chain.

“This is a code-red moment in our fight against climate change, and offshore wind will be at the center of our work to supercharge the renewable energy transition,” Maryland Energy Administration Director Paul Pinsky said. “We need to join forces across communities, states, and countries to invest in this emerging industry – and Maryland will be the headquarters of that work. I applaud Governor Moore for his leadership in this arena. He knows, as I know, that the stakes are too high for us to fail.”