The Block Island wind farm off of Rhode Island. US Wind recently won federal approval to build a 114-turbine wind farm off the coast of Ocean City, a project that took another step forward Wednesday with state approval to expand a pier to service the project. Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images.
By Sofia Appolonio
The Board of Public Works approved a permit Wednesday needed to begin an offshore windmill project in the Delmarva Peninsula, despite objections from Ocean City residents worried about the environmental impact on local wetlands.
The permit, requested by Baltimore wind company US Wind, did not deal with the company’s proposal to build a 114-turbine wind farm 8 miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. Wednesday’s permit was to expand a 353-foot-long pier in West Ocean City that will perform a supporting role in the company’s plan to build offshore wind turbines and bring renewable energy to Maryland.
That plan for the Sinepuxent Bay pier, which is currently used by local fishers, sparked nearly two hours of testimony Wednesday from supporters and opponents of the proposal, some of them delivering passionate pleas. Ultimately, the three-member board voted unanimously to approve.
Maryland Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain argued in favor of the proposal, saying it had passed department review and should be approved.
“We made our decision based solely on the size of the pier in linear feet, the impact to the waterway and sediments and other technical questions that we always ask for permits,” she said. “And it [the proposal] met everything.”
But multiple Eastern Shore residents, officials and community leaders testified against the pier, citing potential negative economic, environmental and cultural impacts of the proposal. They said they felt their concerns for local businesses and fishers were not addressed thoroughly during the application process.
Ocean City Mayor Richard Meehan said that despite offers of compensation, watermen would prefer to retain access to the pier and continue their livelihood with fishing.
“We believe it’s more important to our local area and the state of Maryland that our fishing can remain a vibrant part of our economy rather than being displaced for a foreign developer’s project,” he said.
“Compensation will eliminate the fishing industry and will eliminate jobs,” Meehan said. “Is that really the goal of the state of Maryland?”
Comptroller Brooke Lierman — a member of the Board of Public Works, along with the governor and state treasurer — expressed sympathy for concerned residents, but said the decision on the wetlands license only concerns the existing pier. The permit is not to approve the operation of wind turbines or any future plans with offshore wind.
“We are not permitted to look at what this is actually being used for,” Lierman said. “We are looking at what is actually happening regarding the physical structure. What this pier will be used for is not dispositive, and it’s not even something we take into account.”
The federal government gave its final approval in September to the proposed offshore wind project, which developers say will be able to generate over 2 gigawatts of renewable energy for the Delmarva Peninsula when completed, enough to power more than 718,000 homes.
Ocean City, backed by local businesses, clubs and associations, filed suit in federal court in October to block the project, claiming it would ruin views from the beach and drive away the tourists the region’s economy depends on, in addition to interfering with fishing and fishing tournaments, among other harms.
The federal government has estimated that construction of the project could support almost 2,680 jobs annually over the next seven years, which is when the wind installation is expected to be fully operational. The Maryland Offshore Wind Project consists of three phases, including the proposed installation of up to 114 wind turbine generators, up to four offshore substation platforms, one meteorological tower, and up to four offshore export cable corridors to carry power to the shore.