The Biden-Harris administration announces the approval of the Maryland Offshore Wind Project—the nation’s tenth commercial-scale offshore wind energy project approved under President Biden’s leadership.
With the approval, the Department has approved more than 15 gigawatts of clean energy from offshore wind energy projects—equivalent to half of the capacity needed to achieve President Biden’s goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030. Projects approved to date will power 5.25 million homes.
“BOEM has responded to President Biden’s ambitious vision for a clean energy future with enthusiasm, innovation and collaboration. This approval of US Wind’s Maryland Offshore Wind Project reflects the best available science and invaluable insights from Tribes, government agencies, local communities, industry leaders, ocean users, and environmental groups gathered during our extensive environmental review process," said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. "As we continue to support the undeniable momentum we see along our coasts, our focus remains on fostering responsible energy development, while protecting marine life and ecosystems.”
US Wind’s Maryland Offshore Wind Project, as approved, could generate over 2 gigawatts of clean, renewable energy for the Delmarva Peninsula and power over 718,000 homes. Additionally, the development and construction phases of the project could support almost 2,680 jobs annually over seven years. The lease area is approximately 8.7 nautical miles offshore Maryland and approximately 9 nautical miles from Sussex County, Delaware, at its closest points to shore.
The Maryland Offshore Wind Project consists of three planned phases, which include the proposed installation of up to 114 wind turbine generators, up to four offshore substation platforms, one meteorological tower, and up to four offshore export cable corridors. Two phases, known as MarWin and Momentum Wind, already have offshore renewable energy certificates from the State of Maryland.
On July 29, 2024, BOEM announced the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed project, which analyzed the potential environmental impacts of the activities outlined in the project’s construction and operations plan and considered reasonable alternatives. BOEM hosted two in-person and two virtual public meetings in October 2023 to gather feedback on the Maryland Offshore Wind draft EIS from Tribal Nations, local community members, commercial fishing interests, and other ocean users. As a result of the careful review and feedback received during the environmental review process, BOEM developed measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate the project’s potential environmental impacts. The Record of Decision describes these measures, which BOEM will require as terms and conditions to approve the Maryland Offshore Wind Project.
The “Notice of Availability of a Joint Record of Decision for US Wind Inc.’s Proposed Maryland Offshore Wind Project” will be published in the Federal Register in the coming days. For more information on the Maryland Offshore Wind Project, visit BOEM’s website.
