USA: Maryland Officials to Announce Offshore Wind Lease Progress

U.S. Department of Interior has released a notice that Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will join Governor Martin O’Malley and others today, in order to make an important announcement on progress for wind leasing offshore Maryland.

Efforts to spur responsible development of offshore wind energy are part of a series of Obama Administration actions to increase renewable energy both offshore and onshore. President Obama’s comprehensive Climate Action Plan challenges Interior to re-double efforts on its renewable energy program by approving 20,000 megawatts of renewable energy production on public lands and waters by 2020.

Maryland’s designated “Wind Energy Area” is situated 10 nautical miles east of Ocean City, and seabed and environmental surveys have already been undertaken.

[mappress]

Press release, December 17, 2013; Image: mdgov