The Maryland Offshore Wind Project Receives Final Approval from BOEM

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has officially approved the Construction and Operations Plan for the Maryland Offshore Wind project. This marks the final approval needed for the project, which has also received endorsements from the state of Maryland and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein expressed her excitement about the project, stating, “This project will power over 718,000 homes and support almost 2,680 jobs annually over seven years.” This approval signifies the nation’s tenth commercial-scale offshore wind energy project.

The Maryland Offshore Wind Project is located approximately 8.7 nautical miles offshore of Maryland and 9 nautical miles from Delaware. The lease for the project was awarded to U.S. Wind, a partnership between Italy’s Renexia and American investment firm Apollo Global Management, in August 2014.

US Wind CEO Jeff Grybowski shared his enthusiasm for the project, saying, “After more than four years of rigorous and robust analysis, we are thrilled to have secured this final BOEM approval. US Wind’s projects will produce massive amounts of homegrown energy and will help satisfy the region’s critical need for more electricity, all while supporting good local jobs.”

Project Details

The approved Construction and Operations Plan includes the construction and operation of up to 114 wind turbine generators, four offshore substation platforms, one meteorological tower, and up to four offshore export cable corridors. The project consists of two phases, MarWin and Momentum Wind, with a proposed third phase in the works. US Wind also plans to increase the total capacity of its offshore wind portfolio by more than 600 MW.

In addition to the energy production, US Wind has committed to establishing Maryland’s first offshore wind factory – Sparrows Point Steel – in Baltimore County and facilitating the development of Maryland’s first offshore wind cable manufacturing facility in Baltimore City, Hellenic Cables.

Future of Offshore Wind Energy in Maryland

The Maryland Offshore Wind Project represents a significant milestone in the state’s renewable energy goals. Ørsted’s Skipjack Wind project, which had received approval for two phases totaling 966 MW, faced challenges in January 2024 due to market conditions. Ørsted has since withdrawn its agreements but plans to reposition the project and seek new approvals in the future.

With the approval of the Maryland Offshore Wind Project and ongoing developments in the offshore wind sector, Maryland is poised to make significant strides towards achieving its renewable energy targets and reducing carbon emissions.