Proposed Wind Farm Project Draws OC Opposition Due To Beach Visibility

OCEAN CITY — After getting a glimpse of “dramatic” renderings of the potential offshore wind energy farm last month, resort officials this week unanimously agreed to send a letter voicing opposition to the close proximity of the project to the shore.

The Mayor and Council on Monday heard an in-depth presentation from U.S. Wind Project Development Director Paul Rich on his company’s proposal to develop a wind energy farm off the coast of Ocean City totaling as many as 187 five-story tall wind turbines. The U.S. Wind project is one of two currently under consideration by the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC), which will decide by mid-May the company to ultimately develop the offshore wind farm.

The other candidate, Deepwater Wind, has proposed a project of a much smaller scale and that company will make a presentation to the Mayor and Council in a couple of weeks. On Monday, however, the focus was on the proposed U.S. Wind project and after seeing some visual renderings of what the project could look like from the beach in Ocean City, the town’s elected officials had seen enough and voted to send a letter of opposition, not directly to the U.S. Wind proposal specifically, but the prospect of having 480-foot tall wind turbines churning offshore in clear view from the beach in general.

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