MD GOP requests wind energy moratorium

Republicans cite concerns for national security in call to halt offshore wind farms

(July 28, 2023) Local Republicans renewed their call to put a stop to wind energy development off the coast of Worcester County earlier this month when the Maryland House Republican Caucus sent a letter to Maryland’s Federal Delegation calling for a moratorium earlier this month.

Concern for marine wildlife has been a common refrain from those calling for a stop — and the recent letter says as much too — but this latest attempt also cites national security risks.

“Offshore wind projects may pose a threat to the national security of the

United States,” the letter states. “As you may be aware, the Department of Defense has designated a number of planned offshore sites in the mid-Atlantic as “highly problematic” in relation to military operations. These areas are located off the coasts of Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and North Carolina. In addition, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine have also concluded that offshore wind farms can interfere with navigational radar … necessary.

“I support it,” Hartman said. “My position on the issue hasn’t changed. I think it’s our federal partners that we need to have onboard with us to stop it ultimately. Ocean City has always been set in their position and now with the recent whale deaths I think we really need to take pause and have real facts on what’s going on.” that other areas are having with their offshore wind transmission like Block Island,” Carozza said in an email.

“While the goal of achieving cleaner energy is important, we do not believe it should be at the expense of our marine life and our national security.”

Del. Wayne Hartman, who signed the letter, said it’s imperative to persuade the Federal Delegation — which includes U.S. Rep Andy Harris and U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin — that a moratorium is

State Sen. Mary Beth Carozza, who serves on the Senate Education, Energy, and Environment Committee, said that concerns have been raised for years over the alternative energy’s future with problems posed for the aforementioned reasons, but also tourism, commercial fishing, rates and taxes.

“These questions and concerns remain unanswered, especially with the dramatic increase in the size of the turbines as originally proposed and the costly infrastructure problems

“It only makes sense to pause at the federal level. I believe we should move forward with the Congressional hearing that Representative Andy Harris is working on with the Town of Ocean City, and now with rising inflation, we have even more of an obligation to know the true impact and cost of the development of offshore wind energy on our local area and the entire State of Maryland.”

So far, it doesn’t seem likely that Maryland will slow down its pursuit of wind energy production under Gov. Wes Moore. Earlier this month, a major law backed by his administration went into effect that opens up the state for more business in the sector, with the expressed goal of quadrupling the state’s wind energy output by 2031.