Taxing Winds Blowing Offshore

by Delegate Mike McDermott

There is a lot of hot air blowing around Annapolis these days regarding the viability of Offshore Wind. The governor and his acolytes would have you believe that the cost will be limited to less than two bucks a month for ratepayers, and we should be thrilled with the prospect.

It would be bad enough if this was the only electricity tax we had to pay over the next 25-years, but it is just the beginning. While Businesses in Maryland will be charged the lion’s share of the taxes and fees associated with this boondoggle, it is the consumer who will actually be footing the bill. As a result, you will be paying much higher prices for every quart of milk and every piece of clothing you buy from a store as a result of the wind tax.

It was interesting to see the paper defend (and even call it straight up) “crony capitalism” when it comes to wind development. The billions spent building these 50-story behemoths would only provide enough energy on a windy day to power 60,000 homes. Given that just one reactor at Calvert Cliffs provides enough clean energy for over half a million homes (with no surcharges or taxes), it is quite clear that offshore wind power is just not a good investment.

We refuse to develop our vast natural gas reserves or even include them in our “green” portfolio. Having a politically correct approach when crafting your energy policy has served to provide our people with rates which are 500% greater than we can purchase from other green sources.

I offered an amendment to this bill which would have required our energy providers purchase their green energy mandates from the cheapest source available so our families could be spared the high costs. This was rejected by those who are under their own mandate from the governor to advance this bill no matter the cost.

Instead of focusing on real energy policies that could move Maryland forward and make our region energy independent, those in charge will strap our future to a horse that can’t win, place, or show. These folks would not even allow us to pass an amendment that would require the equipment be manufactured in America, and they tell us this is a “jobs bill” for Maryland.

There is green energy that makes sense, and it is being produced without the need for subsidies which only serve to stymie innovation and limit our resource development.

Marylanders, don’t get “blown away” by the rhetoric…take back your state!