The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has approved US Wind’s air quality permit application, which will allow the company to construct an offshore wind project off the coast of Ocean City.
In the wake of last week’s announcement, both Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan and Maryland Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (District 38) issued separate news releases criticizing the state agency for ignoring feedback collected at public hearings.
For her part, Carozza called the decision a “blatant disregard of the momentum and growing opposition to the industrialization of the ocean off Maryland’s coast.”
“The approval of US Wind’s air quality permit ignores the numerous concerns outlined by the growing opposition from Maryland residents regarding the negative consequences of this project,” she said.
In late 2023, MDE received an air quality permit application from US Wind for the construction and operation of a 114-turbine wind project to be located nearly 11 miles off the coast of Ocean City. The application consisted of an air quality permit-to-construct, an application for a New Source Review (NSR) approval, and an application for a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) approval.
To that end, MDE held an informational meeting on June 13, 2024, followed by a public hearing on Jan. 9, 2025. And in March, following a 60-day extension, the public comment period closed.
“The Department has reviewed the application and the comments received and has determined that the proposed construction and commissioning of the offshore wind project would not cause violations of any applicable air pollution control regulations,” MDE shared on its website last week. “The Department has made a final determination to issue the permit-to-construct, the PSD Approval, and the NSR Approval, effective June 6, 2025.”
In response to last week’s announcement, Meehan lambasted the state agency for approving the US Wind application. He argued MDE ignored public comments from the dozens of local business owners and residents who would be impacted by the project.
“It is unconscionable to believe that the Maryland Department of Environment is ignoring pre-established permitting deadlines and fundamentally ignoring every shred of feedback offered by those who will be directly involved if this poorly conceived and potentially disastrous offshore wind project is allowed to move forward,” he said in a news release. “The entire economy of our coastal resort town is dependent on tourism, our eco system, and commercial fishing, all of which will be significantly impacted if hundreds of these giant eyesores are constructed 10 miles from our beaches.”
This proves our elected officials do what they want, not what their constituents encourage them to do. They have been swamped with anti-wind power comments but chose to ignore them. Have they been bought off? Bank accounts audits of our Maryland’s politicians should be performed as soon as possible. What else could possibly turn these politicians against us?
bought off? where the hell have you been for the last 20 years? exelon doesnt employ approx 50 lobbyists in annapolis for no reason. the legislators are all on the take and the idiots in this state keep voting for the DemonicRats over there.
Let’s all ask the federal government to step in. Trump is against wind power. that’s all MD needs. leftists suck