Deb Haaland Secretary at U.S. Department of Interior | Official website
The Biden-Harris administration announced the approval of the Maryland Offshore Wind Project, marking the nation's tenth commercial-scale offshore wind energy project approved under President Biden's leadership. This milestone brings the total approved capacity to over 15 gigawatts of clean energy from offshore wind projects, equivalent to half of the capacity needed to meet President Biden's goal of 30 gigawatts by 2030. The projects approved thus far are expected to power 5.25 million homes.
"The clean energy future is now! Today's milestone marks another giant leap toward our ambitious goal of unleashing 30 gigawatts of offshore energy by 2030," said Acting Deputy Secretary Laura Daniel-Davis. "Our work to approve the nation’s first ten commercial-scale offshore wind projects is the result of the tenacious public servants at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to expedite the federal permitting process. Thanks to President Biden’s bold Investing in America agenda, we're tackling climate change head-on, sparking job growth, and ensuring that every community shares in the economic opportunities of this new era."
"Under President Biden’s leadership, we have jumpstarted the nation’s offshore wind industry, which is creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, strengthening Made in America supply chains, and providing reliable power to homes and businesses," said White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. "Today’s approval of our nation’s tenth offshore wind project – a total game-changer from zero projects approved before President Biden and Vice President Harris took office – shows the tremendous progress we are making to harness this economic opportunity that benefits American workers and the planet alike. From port infrastructure upgrades and new tax credits to speeding responsible and efficient permitting, we are using every tool available to continue turbocharging this industry and delivering a clean energy future for the nation."
In his first week in office, President Biden issued an Executive Order calling for a new American infrastructure and clean energy economy that will create millions of new jobs while expanding opportunities for the offshore wind industry. The Administration set an ambitious goal: deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030. Achieving this target is projected to trigger more than $12 billion per year in capital investment along U.S. coasts, create tens of thousands of good-paying union jobs (with over 44,000 workers employed in offshore wind by 2030), generate enough power for over 10 million American homes annually, and avoid 78 million metric tons of CO2 emissions.
"BOEM has responded to President Biden’s ambitious vision for a clean energy future with enthusiasm, innovation, and collaboration. Today’s approval reflects insights gathered during our extensive environmental review process," said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. "As we continue supporting undeniable momentum along our coasts, our focus remains on fostering responsible energy development while protecting marine life and ecosystems."
President Biden's Investing in America agenda aims at growing America's economy from within—rebuilding infrastructure, driving substantial private sector manufacturing investments into clean energy initiatives across the United States—and creating well-paying jobs while combating climate change.
US Wind's Maryland Offshore Wind Project could generate over two gigawatts for Delmarva Peninsula powering more than 718,000 homes; its development phases might support nearly 2,680 jobs annually over seven years. The lease area spans approximately eight nautical miles off Maryland shores.
The project includes up-to-114 planned turbine generators among other installations; two phases already hold renewable certificates from Maryland State—MarWin & Momentum Wind.
On July 29th last year BOEM finalized Environmental Impact Statement analyzing potential impacts outlined previously; hosting public meetings gathering feedback leading into measures minimizing adverse environmental effects stated under Record Decision terms approving Maryland Offshore Wind Project soon published Federal Register details found via BOEM website
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