OCEAN CITY — One of the first significant contracts awarded in the proposed offshore wind energy project off the coast of Ocean City went to a fabrication firm in Louisiana, leading local officials to question whether a promise to create jobs and spur economic development in Maryland has been broken early in the process.
Last spring, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) approved US Wind’s project of 32 wind turbines off the resort coast at a distance of 17 miles, or the farthest east area of its federally-designated Wind Energy Area (WEA).
Throughout the process, the Town of Ocean City has supported the US Wind project in general, but has strongly opposed the placement of any turbines within 26 miles of the resort coast, or the distance from which town officials believe the massive turbines would not be visible from the Ocean City shoreline. The town’s opposition regarding the distance from the coast has largely been based on the premise visible turbines would have a detrimental impact on the views from Ocean City shore, tourism and property values.
The battle over the distance of the turbines has been waged through an aggressive letter-writing campaign carried out by both sides and culminated this month with strong testimony from both sides during Maryland Senate committee hearings on a bill that would require the turbines to be sited at least 26 miles off the coast. That legislation ultimately failed when it did not make it out of committee.
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9 comments:
One of the benefits of the wind farm was supposed to be from the building and maintenance of the generators.
Anybody from anywhere with a boat can service and build these structures.
The only thing to be gotten from them locally, will be extremely expensive electricity that we will be forced to buy.
Don't tell me that some politicians and bureaucrats lied to us.
What is the world coming to???
Hey there Ricky
Hows it feel dealing with big business (the Bull)? You sure got the horns on this one! HA HA HA HA - wind turbines, what a WASTE of money!
Then again Ricky, that's all you do - WASTE taxpayer money with pie in the sky ideas. Coastal highway Median Wall, which required digging up all the prior landscaping (brick mind you) ONLY to find out thick concrete underneath. Given that all of you have been around for a long time, surprised none of you remembered the concrete foundations.
Then there's the ongoing parking lot/fees, tens of thousands on routine firework displays (and lest not forget making 1030 the time for displays after much discrepancy from the board)...etc..etc..etc..
HA HA HA HA HA Still tiny time!
Are you really surprised -- it's another scam by the likes of the "Greater Salisbury Committee" clowns and their current poster boy, Matt Drew. No doubt Mike Dunn and Memo Diriker will be whining too.
Where's Liberal Jim on this fiasco?
Yes Sir, as stated Rick finally got a taste of his own.
Only the citizens are fooled again the political elites knew there would be no locals benefitting from them just like all the solar projects.
I'm sorry but I don't get it. Why is Ocean City not pushing solar. Take a boat ride along the ocean and look at all those rooftops that should have solar on them.All the condos, homes, hotels with roofs exposed to sunshine everyday. Ocean City probably could create power for most of the county. Give some sort of tax break to those who go solar. No to wind farms.
i don`t care, it`s ocean city, let the tourists pay for it with increased prices and taxes on hotel rooms.i live less than an hour from OC and i Haven`t been there in over 20 years, it`s a tourist trap let the tourist get screwed by the city.
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