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Sunday, January 21, 2018

Letter to the Editor: Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce In Support of Offshore Wind in MD

Dear Editor,

On behalf of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce– representing hundreds of regional Delmarva businesses and thousands of their employees - we want to express our strong commitment to capturing the immense wind energy resource off our shores. To protect our health, wildlife, and economy – and the quality of life of future generations, we must reduce pollution and launch a new clean energy chapter for America.

The Eastern Shore of Maryland has enough offshore wind potential to meet many of the state’s energy needs. Despite this, we risk falling behind neighboring states with far less potential. Offshore wind projects in Maryland are expected to produce up to 750 MW of power, which will meet 100 percent of Maryland’s off-shore wind renewable energy goals. This is enough power for more than 500,000 Maryland homes.

Investing in this pollution-free energy source, with no fuel costs, can help us reduce pollution and boost our local economies. Offshore wind blows strongest during times of peak energy demand – summer afternoons and winter cold snaps. It will diversify our energy portfolio with large amounts of valuable, clean power just when we need it most.

According to experts the project will create 5,000 jobs in the well-paying construction and manufacturing fields, create a net-export industry for Maryland, provide a $16 billion net economic benefit for Maryland, spur $190 million on investment in critical infrastructure, and support nearly 100 long-term operations and maintenance careers; these are all incredibly positive outcomes for Maryland.

State and community leaders play a critical role in advancing offshore wind power off their shores. The Federal government has made significant progress in recent years identifying and approving locations for offshore wind to move Maryland toward realizing the golden opportunity over our horizon.

Maryland and the Eastern Shore’s citizens and wildlife are depending on bold leadership in ensuring a clean energy future. We strongly urge all to recognize just how much we stand to gain from harnessing our offshore wind power potential. Coastal resiliency, local jobs, increased investments in economic development, manufacturing, protecting wildlife and future generations of Marylanders, this is a promising clean energy solution.

Sincerely,

William R. Chambers
President & CEO
Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have never seen so many half-truths, assumptions and outright lies in such a short letter. What a crock!

Anonymous said...

I call bullcrap on this one. The power generated will not be used in the state of Maryland and the cost of energy will go up on Maryland taxpayers.

Anonymous said...

"we risk falling behind neighboring states with far less potential"

This is a reason not to use cheaper existing energy sources? I didn't realize Maryland was in any sort of competition.

Unknown said...

BS just another mobster racket. Here my solution. How about making each individual house energy independent with solar (roof shingles panels) and wind system built for houses. Along with current power sources as a back-up. We need to shed the chains that hold us to gasoline and electricity. System are out there to do this but its stopped by the lobbies who support continued enslavement of the masses with such BS as this. B

Anonymous said...

Greater Salisbury Committee, Day, Dunn and Culvers hand picked Golden Boy!
More of the disappointing same from these mental midgets

Anonymous said...

Offshore wind will create jobs in Dundalk while sacrificing OC's tourism industry.

Anonymous said...

I think wind power is a waste, but I still think if the wind turbines were properly lit up at night it could be a draw for OC all year round. You know people would go down to watch an offshore light show/display. Imagine sitting on a ocean front balcony/or the beach drinking a brew and watching a nighttime light show that lasted for 2/3 hours or more.

Anonymous said...

They will fail in a couple years due to corrosion and waves beating on them. Crews have a hard enough time keeping up with maintenance when wind turbines are are on land. The only saving grace to this lie is they should be placed far enough offshore the mass public won’t see them falling apart.

Steve said...

So far, the Institutions of Higher Learning including Maryland's own Chesapeake College have built land based wind turdbines and after producing power at over $100 per KwH watched them suffer catastrophic failure in a 4 year span that made repair not worth the effort.
So, now that that lesson was learned, they want to do WHAT????????????

Anonymous said...

That wind turbine at Chesapeake College is really saving money, isn't it?

Anonymous said...

unsustainable

Anonymous said...

when did Salisbury become an ocean front

Anonymous said...

List of Flaws
1) Wind power is costly and inconsistent. So if they don't build the turbine in the right direction they'll get no power and have heavy debt.
2) View is obstructed. The beach area is a tourist trap where do you get the idea people love looking at them. Wind turbines are also LOUD.
3) Maryland wild life are largely birds, and wind turbines decrease local bird populations even though there are some improvements than before.

Anonymous said...

Don't believe the part about local jobs it's bs all the solar panels being installed around here are from companies out west and there is no increase in jobs from any energy industry on the shore at this time.

Anonymous said...


Where to start on this flight of fantasy? Which wind farm speculator penned this puff piece? Wow! Just Wow!!

This proposed project is part of OweMalley's destructive legacy of fanciful energy sources. He stopped just short of mandating horse mills powered by unicorns.

Wind and solar can provide energy when conditions are right, and if they can operate without subsidy. If it's such a spectacular idea let investors buy the equipment and truly compete in the energy market without subsidies or guaranteed market share.

The fate of the wind turbine at Chesapeake College is an abject lesson into the maintenance pitfalls these devices seem prone to. It will be even more so if repairs require crossing miles of ocean.

The Salisbury C of C's endorsement should be filed under Fiction!

Anonymous said...

"On behalf of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce– representing hundreds of regional Delmarva businesses and thousands of their employees"

It's funny how these clowns at the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce always try to make it sound like "thousands" of people support a small group or a single persons issues. BullShit!

More BS just like Ernie Colburn used to pull on us. Mike Dunn has his fingerprints on this as well.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
List of Flaws
1) Wind power is costly and inconsistent. So if they don't build the turbine in the right direction they'll get no power and have heavy debt.
2) View is obstructed. The beach area is a tourist trap where do you get the idea people love looking at them. Wind turbines are also LOUD.
3) Maryland wild life are largely birds, and wind turbines decrease local bird populations even though there are some improvements than before.

January 18, 2018 at 6:53 PM

List of Lies

1) "if they don't build the turbine in the right direction they'll get no power"
This is a bald face lie. These turbines are designed and built to rotate with the wind direction.

2) The views will not be obstructed because they will be far enough off shore. They are NOT LOUD!! I ride to Baltimore several times a week and I have stopped at Chesapeake College numerous times and walked out to the turbine and took pictures and videos. Guess what? I have video proof the turbines are not loud.

3) These turbines do not kill birds. Again, I ride to Baltimore several times a week and I have stopped at Chesapeake College numerous times and walked out to the turbine and took pictures and videos. Guess what? I have video and pictures to prove there are no and I mean NO DEAD Birds killed by any turbines. These are all lies that d!ckheads like this one invent to scare people in to opposing turbines.

Guess what? I oppose the turbines, but I am not stupid enough to lie about noise and killing burds.

Anonymous said...

Mike Dunn got his boy John Cannon to get involved in supporting this windpower crap. John Cannon has been going to Annapolis to meet secretly with elected officials representing the Wicomico County Council as their president. The interesting thing is the county council members don't know that "they" are supporting off-shore wind power. Why do you think John Cannon had Matt Drew and the lady from Toroid to speak at the county council meeting on January 16, 2018.