County evaluating action that could impact offshore wind developer’s project
Worcester County officials this week continued to postpone a proposed zoning amendment that would stymie offshore wind developers from operating as a utility in the West Ocean City commercial fishing harbor.
“With any big change like this, you know, we want to deliberate. At the end of the day, that’s what we’re doing. We’re taking all information in and we’re deliberating,” said County Administrator Weston Young following Tuesday’s meeting of the Worcester County Board of Commissioners.
After having put off any decisions from their Feb. 18 meeting, when the measure first came up, the commissioners were then scheduled Tuesday to review the proposed changes to zoning within the Commercial Marine District, home of the West Ocean City harbor.
One section of the bill would prohibit “facilities that are intended to support offshore energy production” while another would ban “public utility structure” as a permitted use. It’s part of the county’s efforts to stop or slow developer US Wind from moving forward on a planned 114-turbine wind farm located about 11 miles offshore.
However, the discussion was tabled, and will come back as an agenda item at a later meeting, Young announced at the top of the meeting.
Young also said the county remains steadfast in its commitment to protect the commercial fishing industry from offshore wind. Also, Young noted, President Donald Trump’s negative views on offshore wind have not changed, which creates another wait-and-see issue.