The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has raised concerns over the legal basis for appealing a key permit issued for the Maryland Offshore Wind Project, a development led by US Wind that could generate up to 2,200 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
In a letter dated July 7 to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), the EPA stated that the state “identified the incorrect appeals process” when it approved the permit in June. According to the agency, appeals of the permit fall under federal, not state, jurisdiction.
“Failure to rectify this error could result in invalidation of the permit on appeal and confusion among relevant stakeholders with respect to where to bring such an appeal,” the EPA wrote.
The EPA has requested that the state reissue the permit, clarifying the appropriate federal appeals procedure. The MDE said it is currently reviewing the agency’s concerns. “MDE is committed to ensuring all our permit processes are transparent and in accordance with the law,” a department spokesperson told reNEWS.
US Wind, the developer behind the project, expressed confidence in the permitting process. “We’re confident that all of our project’s permits were validly issued,” said Nancy Sopko, the company’s vice president of external affairs. The state needs all the new sources of electricity we can build in order to keep prices affordable for homes and businesses.
The project, located off the coast of Maryland, is part of broader efforts to expand offshore wind energy in the U.S. and increase renewable electricity capacity. It remains unclear whether the appeals issue will delay progress on the project.
