Maryland seeks competing applications for offshore wind projects

The Maryland Public Service Commission, an independent administrative agency within the state government that regulates public utilities, has opened a 180-day application period for other developers to develop offshore wind projects off the Maryland coast.

This application period began on 25 February, 2016 and, unless extended, ends at the close of business on 23 August, 2016.

At the end of the application period, the Maryland Public Service Commission will hold proceedings to allow interested parties to comment. The Commission must approve, conditionally approve or deny an application within 180 days after the close of the application period.

More information on how to apply for offshore wind projects in Maryland can be found by clicking the following link:

http://www.marylandoffshorewind.com/

As we reported in August 2014, Italian renewable energy developer Renexia SpA through its American division US WIND Inc. was awarded by the BOEM with a lease sale to develop 80,000 acres of The Maryland Wind Energy Area.

The Maryland Wind Energy Area is located, at its closest point, about 10 nautical miles offshore Ocean City, and has the potential to support between 850 and 1450 megawatts of commercial wind generation, according to Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

The sites have a total of almost 80,000 acres (32,370 hectares). The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) auctioned the Maryland Wind Energy Area as two leases, referred to as the North Lease Area (32,737 acres) and the South Lease Area (46,970 acres).

The lessee will have an operations term of 25 years. Renexia’s US Wind Inc. unit submitted the winning bid in round 19 of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) auction. When fully built, this wind energy area could generate enough energy to power about 300,000 homes (about 675 MW).