Image: Adobe Stock
The Maryland General Assembly has handed the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources (POWER) Act of 2023 (Senate Bill 0781 / House Bill 0793), that units new and bold targets. The invoice is on its solution to Gov. Wes Moore’s desk, the place he’s anticipated to signal the laws into regulation.
The laws would quadruple Maryland’s offshore wind era objectives from about 2 GW to eight.5 GW by 2031, enhance its transmission infrastructure, and supply a pathway to future procurement of offshore wind vitality within the state. The 8.5 GW of offshore wind vitality focused within the POWER Act is sufficient to provide clear vitality to greater than 2 million houses in Maryland whereas jobs, because the invoice goals to make sure that offshore wind tasks present equitable alternatives for native unions and minority, girls, service-disabled, and veteran-owned companies.
“The POWER Act is a real game changer for Maryland,” stated Jeff Grybowski, US Wind CEO. “It sets a path for the people of Maryland to reap the benefits of huge amounts of clean energy in the coming years. It also tells the entire offshore wind industry globally that Maryland is back big time as a major player. Companies looking to invest in offshore wind have to seriously consider Maryland.”
Passage of the POWER Act follows carefully on the heels of Moore’s announcement through the 2023 International Partnering Forum in Baltimore of ambitions to spice up Maryland’s quickly rising offshore wind vitality business.
To transfer Maryland towards reaching the purpose of 100% clear vitality by 2035, the governor introduced that, as since enacted within the POWER Act, Maryland will goal to quadruple the quantity of vitality produced by offshore wind to eight.5 gigawatts of energy. To assist the trouble, he stated, the administration is working to ascertain new lease areas and strengthen the offshore wind provide chain.
In current weeks, US Wind additionally introduced a brand new partnership with Spain’s Haizea Wind Group to handle and function Sparrows Point Steel, Maryland’s first everlasting offshore wind manufacturing unit in Baltimore County, Maryland. The facility will manufacture metal elements for the U.S. offshore wind business, together with monopiles and towers, whereas creating a whole bunch of jobs for native unions and minority companies.
