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March 4, 2011
A Message from Governor O'Malley
Dear Friend,
There are some challenges so large that we can only tackle them together. Harnessing the potential of Maryland's offshore wind to help secure our energy future is one of them.
We have the opportunity to jumpstart the creation of thousands of green manufacturing, assembly and servicing jobs on the shores and waters of Maryland, while at the same time doing the right thing for Maryland ratepayers, our environment, and our energy future.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to testify before the House Economic Matters Committee on our proposal and I wanted to take a minute to share a few key facts about the legislation.
This legislation can create 2,000 manufacturing and construction jobs over five years, and 400 permanent jobs when the turbines start spinning.
The total economic impact over five years is expected to exceed $1.9 billion and $14 million in state tax revenues.
This project is expected to generate enough energy to power 79% of the homes and businesses on the Eastern Shore, or put another way, enough for half the homes in Baltimore City.
This project would help us meet between 10 and 15 percent of our renewable energy goals and it would allow us to reduce dangerous greenhouse emissions by 945,000 tons per year.
While the exact impact on monthly utility bills can’t be known until bids are placed, we estimate that impact to be about $1.44 per month for a typical Maryland family. That’s approximately the same impact on a monthly bill of using two 60 watt light bulbs rather than two compact fluorescents. But over the long term, the stable long-term price will save consumers money, and we’ll be doing the right thing for our environment and our energy future.
And the cost of inaction is great. The longer we depend on expensive energy from overseas, the longer we leave our energy future in the hands of others and at the risk of volatile international conflict. If we fail to act, the thousands of green jobs we could have created here will likely be created in other states. We would lose the benefits to our environment, and continue to be at the whim of volatile fossil fuel prices.
We have a tremendous opportunity with offshore wind and I hope you'll take the time to learn more about this important initiative.
Thank you,
Martin O'Malley
Governor
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Governor O'Malley Testifies in Support of the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2011
Bill will boost offshore wind development to generate much needed clean, renewable energy, create new 'green' jobs, and promote long-term price stability
ANNAPOLIS, MD (March 3, 2011)–Governor Martin O'Malley today appeared before the House of Delegates’ Economic Matters Committee to testify in support of the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2011, which will require that public utilities leverage Maryland's outstanding offshore wind resources by entering into long-term purchase agreements with wind power generation facilities off of the Mid-Atlantic coast. The Governor was joined by the Secretary of Business and Economic Development, Secretary of Natural Resources and the Director of the Maryland Energy Administration, underscoring the bill’s importance in leveraging Maryland’s natural assets to promote ‘green’ job creation and generate much needed clean, renewable energy.
“In this competitive new economy, the states that win will be those that succeed in leveraging innovation into job creation and economic growth,” said Governor O’Malley. “In Maryland, our emerging green sector is a critically important part of our Innovation Economy, and therefore our ability to create jobs and compete globally. This bill would move us forward towards a prosperous, thriving Maryland powered by sustainable, clean energy.”
An analysis conducted at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the US Department of Energy estimates that offshore wind will create more than twenty direct jobs per annual megawatt, including jobs in manufacturing, engineering, and skilled labor. A 500MW wind generation facility in the waters off of the Delmarva coast could generate as many as 2,000 manufacturing and construction jobs during the five-year development period, with an additional 400 permanent jobs once the turbines are spinning.
Due to its ideal location in the Mid-Atlantic, as well as the deep-water port and manufacturing infrastructure in Baltimore, Maryland is well positioned to be a leader not only in offshore wind energy generation, but also in ongoing construction and maintenance.
In addition to creating new ‘green’ jobs, harnessing the potential of offshore wind power will generate much needed clean, renewable energy, and promote long-term price stability while helping to ensure that Maryland meets its Renewable Portfolio Standard goal of generating 20% of its energy from renewable resources by 2022.
The bill seeks to diversify the terms by which energy is purchased in Maryland by requiring long-term power-purchase agreements with offshore wind generation facilities, which would be located more than 10 miles from Maryland’s Atlantic coast. These purchase agreements allow Maryland to lock-in rates over the long-term, providing price stability and predictability in what is otherwise a potentially volatile commodity market.
The bill would require that public utilities purchase between 400-600 megawatts (MW) of power from offshore wind generation facilities in federal waters adjacent to the PJM Control Area for a period of twenty or more years. For residential ratepayer, the PSC currently directs the utilities to procure approximately 25% of their power at a time, in two year contracts, making ratepayers vulnerable to periodic increases in the market price of energy–particularly electricity based on fossil fuel resources. 500 MW of offshore wind energy is enough to power more than half of the homes in the City of Baltimore, or 79% of the homes on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
“Off-shore wind has the potential to be a big “win” for our State: a win for jobs, a win for consumers, a win for business, and a win for our energy future—an energy future which is cleaner, greener, more sustainable, and more affordable,” said Governor O’Malley.
For more information on offshore wind in Maryland, click here to view relevant facts and figures.
For more information, visit the Maryland Energy Administration.
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A Message from the Governor
Our Shared Energy Future
This week, I will testify before the House Economic Matters Committee on our Administration's offshore wind legislation.
Energy touches every aspect of our lives from the cost of heating our homes to sustaining our resources for future generations. Thanks to the tough choices we've made over the last four years, Maryland has emerged as one of the leaders in the effort to harness the power of offshore wind. As we transition into a new and "green" economy, we have the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs for our hardworking families, power hundreds of thousands of homes, and help stabilize utility costs.
Our Administration has set a goal to increase Maryland's Renewable Portfolio by 20 percent by 2022. Offshore wind remains one of the most critical components to achieving this goal. The legislation we are proposing will require utilities to enter into long-term agreements so we can focus on our long-term energy security. This bill will require Maryland's five distribution utilities to award long-term contracts to procure between 400 to 600 megawatts of offshore wind energy.
Click here to learn more about our energy policy from our Senior Energy Advisor, Abby Hopper.
Over the past years, we have made efforts to lay the foundation for a clean energy future – establishing vital partnerships, providing resources and incentives for our families and workforce, creating jobs, and fueling innovation. We have worked together alongside our neighbors in Delaware and Virginia and our federal partners to advance offshore wind in our region. Together, we have provided more than 2,600 grants to Maryland residents and over 50 grants to Maryland businesses and local governments seeking to do their part to generate clean, renewable energy at home. Additionally, the amount of solar installed in Maryland has soared five-fold in the last two years and is expected to double again in the next six months.
With Maryland's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, our Clean Cars Act and electric vehicle legislation, and our ambitious Smart, Green, & Growing agenda, we are leading the nation's efforts in sustainability. Working together, we can continue to build a shared, clean energy future for us all.
Martin O'Malley
Governor
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A Message from the Governor
A More Sustainable Maryland
Yesterday, I joined with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Senator Pinksy, Delegate Lafferty and many other environmental advocates and legislators to introduce new reforms to protect our Bay by preventing pollution from septic systems.
Together, we are working to restore the health of our Bay. Our blue crab population is rebounding, our native oyster is thriving, we're reducing pollution caused by aging sewage treatment plants and stormwater run-off, and we're planting record numbers of cover crops. But we cannot continue to ignore one of the biggest causes of pollution in the Bay: septic systems. That's why these reforms will drastically reduce the number of new septic systems in our State, and place a ban on new septic systems in major new Maryland housing developments.
This week, we also introduced the Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2011. In Maryland, we've set a goal of increasing Maryland's renewable energy portfolio by 20 percent by 2022. Our State has emerged as one of the leaders in the effort to harness the power of offshore wind – an industry with the potential to create thousands of jobs and power hundreds of thousands of homes. This bill will require long-term power-purchase agreements with offshore wind generation facilities, so we can focus on our State's energy security in the future. And to expand Maryland's "green jobs" sector, we are also introducing legislation to promote the purchase and use of electric vehicles and tap into renewable energy innovation.
Our children's future rests on our ability to take advantage of opportunities in the new economy. From reducing pollution in our Bay to establishing the framework for clean energy, we are ensuring that our children and theirs will be able to enjoy our State's natural treasures and realize the benefits of a cleaner, greener, more sustainable Maryland.
Martin O'Malley
Governor
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January
Climate News | Issue
#48
FROM DIRECTOR MIKE
TIDWELL "Dear
Peggy..."
January
Climate News | Issue
#48
Maryland
Offshore Wind Bill Gets Moving
January 09, 2011
Frederick News Post
The power of long-term energy agreements
January 07, 2011
Frederick News Post
Speakers promote wind power as clean-energy alternative
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January 4, 2011
A Message from the Governor - Moving Forward to a Clean Energy Future
Clean energy is becoming a reality in Maryland. Last month, Maryland's first commercial scale wind energy farms officially began contributing to the state's electric grid. The Criterion and Synergics wind projects, both in Garrett County, will together generate 120MW of clean, renewable energy—enough to power 40,000 homes.
Next week, the University of Maryland will inaugurate Maryland's largest solar power installation, a 2.2MW facility located on their Lower Eastern Shore campus, which was built by Maryland-based SunEdison. In addition, the State of Maryland, through the Maryland Energy Administration, has provided more than 2,600 grants to Maryland residents and over 50 grants to Maryland businesses and local governments seeking to do their part to reduce our state's dependence on costly fossil fuels by generating clean, renewable energy at home.
As a result of these efforts and Maryland's goal to produce 20% of the state's electricity from renewable energy by 2022, the amount of solar installed in Maryland has soared five-fold in the last two years and is expected to double again in the next six months.
Maryland is emerging as one of the leading clean energy states, which helps create jobs, reduce household bills, and improve the environment. These landmark achievements herald a new era in Maryland's energy economy—one that is Smart, Green, and Growing.
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December 30, 2010
Frederick News Post
Potential wind-power bill draws mixed reactions