Posted on April 3, 2023
He envisions the state becoming the headquarters for manufacturing, logistics and innovation in the industry and has charged his administration with an ambitious target of 100% clean energy by 2035.
Clearly, he’s just a little bit competitive, Moore joked before a crowd of hundreds who gathered at the Baltimore Convention Center Wednesday morning to hear him and other stakeholders speak about the emerging offshore wind industry at the 10th annual International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum.
“Maryland steel led the American economy in the 20th century and I want Maryland wind to lead the American economy in the 21st century,” the governor said.
If Moore really does want Maryland to be a global leader in the industry, the state has quite the fight ahead.
While offshore wind is relatively new to the U.S. with only one sample-size project currently in operation, it has existed in Europe for the past 30 years. More locally, states up and down the East Coast are competing heavily for investment from offshore wind developers. As one state increases its goals, others follow suit, all seeking to entice developers to invest not only in the wind farms themselves, but also in manufacturing facilities, port infrastructure, job training programs and more.
But backed by strong state and federal investment in the emerging sector, Moore feels confident Maryland is well-positioned — literally with its mid-coast location and figuratively with its educated workforce and other assets — to get the job done.
“Maryland was made for this,” he said. “People in our state grow up on the water boating, fishing and crabbing and many go to work on the water at the Port and on the Chesapeake Bay.”
He said he was excited by the promise of nearly 15,000 jobs that are expected to result from the projects developers US Wind Inc. and Ørsted Offshore North America are taking on in the state. Plans include offshore wind farms that currently total 2,022 megawatts, as well as offshore wind manufacturing, logistics and assembly facilities at Tradepoint Atlantic in Baltimore County, the former home of Bethlehem Steel, as well as on the Eastern Shore.
For a more detailed breakdown of offshore wind in Maryland read our comprehensive guide.
Legislation now under consideration by the General Assembly seeks to make the state more competitive by increasing its offshore wind energy capacity to 8,500 MW by 2031. The bill also comes as the federal government prepares to open a new mid-Atlantic offshore lease area and dole out billions set aside for renewable energy in the recently-passed Inflation Reduction Act.
In his speech, Moore fired a shot at his predecessor, former Gov. Larry Hogan, who he said “took a middle road” with offshore wind. He plans to take a different path, making his support for the industry crystal clear.
“It has been a long time since I was comfortable being a C student,” he said. “I don’t want Maryland to just get by with passing grades, I want us to win. I want us to be top of the class.”
The annual IPF conference is organized by Baltimore-based nonprofit the Baltimore-based Business Network for Offshore Wind and this year welcomed over 4,000 attendees and 900 companies for three days of informational sessions, panel discussions, networking events and more.
The Network was also awarded a $1.25 million grant by the Maryland Energy Administration Wednesday. The funds will be used to develop an offshore wind experience hub on the Eastern Shore aimed at increasing public awareness and education around the emerging industry.
