US Wind has received a key air quality permit from the state of Maryland, allowing construction to move forward on its offshore wind project off the state’s coast. The approval marks the final state-level regulatory requirement for the development.
The Maryland Department of the Environment’s Air and Radiation Administration announced its decision after reviewing the project’s potential environmental impact. “The proposed construction and commissioning of the offshore wind project would not cause violations of any applicable air pollution control regulations,” the department said in a statement.
The project had already secured federal approval in December from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which granted the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) for the development.
Located about 10 nautical miles off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland, and nine nautical miles from Sussex County, Delaware, the project is designed to generate up to 2.2 gigawatts of renewable electricity—enough to power more than 718,000 homes across the Delmarva Peninsula.
The approved development plan includes up to 114 wind turbines, four offshore substations, a meteorological tower, and as many as four export cable corridors that will make landfall in Delaware.
With all major state and federal permits in place, US Wind is now cleared to begin onshore and offshore construction activities for one of the largest renewable energy projects in the region.
