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Friday, January 19, 2018

Another Wind Power Scam (like Somerset County's)

By Delegate Christopher T. Adams

Forces are quickly aligning in Maryland to build large industrial power generation projects within eyesight off the coast of Ocean City. Much of the conversation over the location and size of these projects has happened without Ocean City’s direct participation.

However, this pending decision weighs heavily on me, as a fifth-generation Eastern Shoreman. It will permanently change what we see, and what we expect to see, when sitting on Maryland’s world-class beach.

The project was born from then-Gov. Martin O’Malley’s failed launch of a presidential campaign with offshore wind central to his campaign platform. This impractical political stunt is being resurrected by forcing Maryland rate-payers and taxpayers to subsidize the construction and maintenance of more than 100 wind turbines.

Only after the full investment by the citizens of this state will the energy generated from this project then be sent north through Delaware and into New York and New Jersey for distribution.

This is not responsible tax-and-spend policy for Maryland.

The size of these proposed wind turbine projects also ignore the rapid advancement of future technologies. A new generation of smaller and safer turbines are now being tested. These turbines will also be designed for better performance in hurricane-impacted areas.

Also, current best practices in clean energy are increasingly focused on energy storage, not large-scale production. This will be accomplished through innovative battery and micro grid technologies. These advancements will quickly render the current turbine designs obsolete.

Unlike large solar projects that can be removed when their useful lifespan expires, these 600-foot metal structures will remain forever.

Ocean City and its waters are a destination and migratory route for mammals, birds and fish. The physical toll on birds flying through a turbine field is well known.

The extreme adverse consequences of a droning turbine to all wildlife needs to be better understood by science. All future negative environmental impact must be clearly determined. This is as important for the benefit of our environment and wildlife as it is for Maryland’s economy.

One of the major benefits of having such a large project located near the Eastern Shore is the promise of jobs and economic opportunity for a region that sorely needs a jumpstart. Provided we can keep these jobs truly local to Eastern Shore counties, I agree and have supported the advantage this opportunity provides.

But advocates for offshore wind should also understand the importance Ocean City plays in economic development for the state. With more than $8 billion in taxable base, Maryland simply cannot have permanent projects desecrating the viewscape for property owners and visitors who come to Ocean City for the sand, saltwater and vista.

Truth is, we only get one chance to get this right. I think it is debatable that offshore wind is a cost-effective means for delivering safe and clean energy.

However, we can all agree as currently proposed, these offshore wind projects will forever change the view and skyline of the magnificent beaches of Ocean City for generations to come.

The topic of offshore wind will be a major chance for collaboration among stakeholders during the 2018 legislative session in Annapolis.

All Marylanders are stakeholders in the beauty and recreation that Ocean City provides. We can take the time to do our due diligence.

This is a decision that will leave a lasting and permanent legacy for our home. I believe we have the political will to get this right and look forward to participating in this process as it unfolds.

Christopher T. Adams represents District 37B in the Maryland House of Delegates.

13 comments:

  1. You lost me when you called Ocean City a world class beach.

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  2. I have to agree with Chris. Just ask our own Chesapeake College here in Wye Mills, MD. 5 years of running and then catastrophic failure only producing enough energy in its lifetime at a cost of over $100 per KwH. You pay $.15 to Delmarva Power for the same thing.
    Want more info on cost efficiency of wind turdbines? Just go to Lake :and College in Mattoon Illinois!
    http://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2016/04/lake-land-colleges-987697-20-wind-turbine-waste/

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  3. If the turbines don't workout get helicopters and cutting torches go tear them down and drop them down the bottom of the sea make ggood structure for fishing

    Then go build a new coal fired plant up in Vienna, MD to take up the slack.

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  4. Placing offshore wind off Maryland's ocean front is a gamble at best. Wind turbines have a limited life span and will not survive hurricane force winds. Marylanders will pay in many ways including higher electric prices, a degraded environment, and the blight of increased transmission along with the cost of transporting the energy to NY/NJ.
    There are even more risks that we do not know, such as the marine life impact, the effect on OC's tourism industry, property values with ocean views, and operating and maintaining costs.
    Moving forward with this project will most likely be a debacle just like the projects are in Somerset County.

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  5. If it was born under the O'Malley administration it can not possibly be good for anything or anybody.

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  6. The Crisfield turbine produces $72,000 annually
    has O&M of $24,000 annually

    Netting $48,000

    Cost $4,200,000

    Will take 88 years to recapture costs but it will break well before it's 10th birthday becoming toxic junk that cost another $200,000 to remove.

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  7. Chris Adams wants to go with a Martin Omalley project? How do you not get Ocean City involved in these conversations? They will be the ones impacted the most. Why is that Chris Adams? well i don't know about you folks but that speaks volumes to me. Do Not vote for Chris Adams in November!

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  8. 10 Lawsuits and counting for the Great Bay Solar(originally wind) project in Somerset County. Somerset's own County Commissioners are the defendants in at least one of them.

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  9. Thanks Chris for calling the offshore wind project out for what it really is.

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  10. 4:13:

    What are you smoking?

    Chris Adams is not in favor of the O'Malley initiated wind power scam.

    Go back under your rock.

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  11. A true Eastern Shoreman would not be sitting on a beach in Ocean City. There is no way in hell they would want to be around Baltimorons, Jerseyites, Pennsyltuckians, New Yorkers, etc., as they are the enemy.

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  12. Anonymous said...
    Thanks Chris for calling the offshore wind project out for what it really is.

    January 19, 2018 at 6:25 PM

    Andy Harris is also trying to stop this nonsense

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  13. The Martin O'Malley wind project is not a good idea. It needs to be scraped! Get that idea right back out of their heads. Waste of tax payer money and it will be under the water for a safe space for the fish once a good hurricane comes along.

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