Maryland
House leaders prepping legislation to boost Maryland offshore wind – Maryland Matters
Stung by news that one of the two companies that was planning to install wind energy turbines off the coast of Ocean City is reassessing its projects, House leaders are drafting legislation designed to shore up the state’s offshore wind industry.
House Economic Matters Chair C.T. Wilson (D-Charles) and Vice Chair Brian M. Crosby (D-St. Mary’s) will introduce a bill later this week to buttress USWind, the one company fully committed to building wind installations in federal waters near Maryland, and encourage more players to enter the marketplace.
“If you want to be a good partner and move in the direction that Maryland wants to move in, we want to help,” Wilson said in an interview Tuesday.
The state has ambitious goals to generate 8.5 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power almost 3 million homes, from offshore wind sources by 2031. But late last month, Ørsted, one of two companies that had won leases to build wind farms off the coast, announced it was “repositioning” its plans, pulling out of its agreement with the state and seeking alternative financing.
Although Ørsted is the biggest developer of offshore wind in the world, and was an early entrant into the still developing U.S. market, some of its American projects have struggled of late, due in part to inflation and worldwide supply chain issues for the industry. Last fall, the company abandoned two proposed developments off the New Jersey coast altogether.
That was a warning signal to Wilson, whose committee moved complicated legislation last year to expand the offshore wind industry in Maryland.
“We saw the writing on the wall when Ørsted pulled out of the New Jersey projects,” he said.
After that announcement, Wilson and Crosby convened meetings with representatives of both Ørsted and USWind, which confirmed their impression that USWind was more committed to building in Maryland and farther along in project planning and construction. Although both companies have invested millions of dollars in the state for facilities that would support the construction, assembly and maintenance of the giant wind turbines, USWind has already received some key federal permits for its projects and reached an agreement to land its transmission lines from the wind installations in Delaware, where they would connect with the regional electric grid.
“Let me be clear: US Wind is here to stay,” Jeff Grybowski, USWind CEO, said late last month. “I am very confident that we will build Maryland’s first offshore wind farm and deliver this clean energy to the people of Delmarva for years to come.”
Wilson and Crosby said they decided to craft their legislation accordingly.
Both the Ørsted and USWind projects have been sustained in part by financial clean energy credits from the state known as ORECs, which the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) awarded in 2017. Among other things, Ørsted with its announcement last month pulled out of its agreement with the state for ORECs for two phases of its Maryland project, saying it needed a bigger source of funding.
“I think to an extent they wanted to call our bluff” with the announcement, Crosby observed.
Wilson and Crosby said their legislation would provide more favorable ORECs to USWind and also envisions directing the PSC, the state’s chief utility regulator, to open more lease space to other potential bidders. The legislation also would set parameters for letting USWind erect more turbines than currently allowed with greater generation capacity. The lawmakers believe it’s possible for USWind to take over anywhere between a third and a half of Ørsted’s existing lease allocation.
“We’re working with our partner,” Wilson said. “They [Ørsted] have chosen not to be our partner.”
Grybowski said USWind believes it can expand its projected presence in the waters off Ocean City, with proper incentives and tweaks to current guidelines.
“We are ready to step into the breach and step up our plans to ensure that Maryland’s offshore wind goals remain on track,” he said. “As we work towards securing final federal permits later this year and getting closer to the day we get steel in the water, we are grateful for the strong partnership we have with the Moore administration and Maryland’s legislative leadership.”
But Maddy Voytek, Ørsted’s head of government affairs and market strategy in Maryland, said that despite what some policymakers may think, the company is not prepared to abandon its Skipjack Wind projects in the state, and said the circumstances here are significantly different than they were in New Jersey.
“We remain engaged with state leaders on identifying a value-creating path forward for Skipjack Wind to help the state achieve its clean energy goals,” she said. “Governor Moore and the General Assembly have been steadfast partners to date, and our belief in Maryland as a leading offshore wind region remains as strong as ever.”
Voytek said the company is “advancing Skipjack Wind’s development” and plans to submit a construction and operations plan, similar to what has already been approved for USWind, to the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
“Submission of the [plan] will be a critical milestone in Skipjack Wind’s development, bringing the project one step closer to federal permitting review,” she said. “We have high confidence in Skipjack Wind’s ability to deliver value for both people and nature and are actively monitoring future offshore wind procurement opportunities in the market.”
Ørsted representatives are expected to meet with House leaders later this week, and it’s entirely likely that their politically plugged-in team of lobbyists, lead by the Annapolis firm Rifkin Weiner Livingston LLC, will try to influence the process over the Wilson-Crosby bill. (USWind uses the equally influential firm Perry White Ross & Jacobson).
While similar legislation isn’t expected to be introduced in the Senate this legislative session, Sen. Brian J. Feldman (D-Montgomery), chair of the Committee on Education, Energy and the Environment, told Maryland Matters he is looking forward to reading the House measure and is generally supportive of the concept.
Both Ørsted and USWind have been awarded leases off of Maryland in two phases, and the Public Service Commission is expected to award a third set of leases to offshore wind developers sometime in the future. Either company could, in theory, bid for those — as could other players in the industry.
The POWER Act, which the legislature approved last year to expand the state’s offshore wind goals, empowers the PSC to conduct an analysis of offshore wind transmission system expansion options. It also directs the Maryland Department of General Services, which manages state government properties, to invite bids for a transmission project — which could ease the offshore wind operators’ financial burden and expand wind energy generation and transmission in the state.
Wilson said passing the soon-to-be-introduced bid is essential to keep Maryland on target to reach its clean energy and carbon emissions reduction goals.
“People recognize how important it is to get off our reliance on fossil fuels,” he said.
The state said the five recently traveled together to “a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak.”
Maryland health officials confirmed five more measles cases, all in Carroll County.
“These individuals recently traveled together to a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak,” the state Department of Health said in a release.
The agency said others may have been exposed on the afternoon of July 13 in the emergency department waiting room at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.
Another measles case recently prompted warnings from health officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District. On June 17, a Maryland resident traveled through Dulles International Airport and visited a D.C. urgent care clinic.
Measles is highly contagious. It can spread through the air through coughs, breathing, and sneezes. Early symptoms can include fevers of over 101 degrees, coughs, runny noses, watery eyes and face or body rashes.
It can take up to 21 days after exposure for the first symptoms to appear, and those who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles are especially vulnerable.
The five new measles cases in Maryland bring the state’s year-to-date total to nine. The state health department confirmed three cases in 2025, and one in each of the previous two years.
“All Marylanders should review potential exposure times, watch for symptoms, and confirm they are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations,” the health department said.
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Baltimore may be under an extreme heat alert, but residents can dream about autumn, as tickets are now on sale for the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show returning to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in October.
This three-day celebration of home and garden takes place from Friday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Expect hundreds of exhibitors, local makers, home improvement experts, family-friendly experiences and celebrity guests. The show offers everyone the chance to explore the very latest in home improvement, landscaping, outdoor living and decor, the chance to take part in hands-on experiences, and do some holiday shopping all under one roof.
This year’s show will have more than 300 exhibitors, including more than 100 crafters from around Maryland in the Makers Market. There will be unique exhibits, stage presentations and a special appearance by Chase Morrill, Ashley Morrill-Eldridge and Ryan Eldridge from Magnolia Network’s hit series “Maine Cabin Masters.” The three will have two Main Stage appearances, one on Friday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. and the second on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m.
“As temperatures start to drop and the holiday season comes into view, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show is a place to gather ideas, meet local experts and get inspired before the busy season begins,” said Dave Paul, show manager, in a statement. “Whether attendees are planning a home project, looking for outdoor living ideas or getting a head start on holiday shopping, the show brings together resources and experiences for every kind of homeowner, maker and DIY enthusiast.”
In addition to the Makers Market and stars of “Maine Cabin Masters”, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show will have a petting zoo, a Kids Market where attendees can shop from local children, and much more.
Tickets are available online and at the door. Prices are as follows:
Online:
- Adults: $8
- Senior Citizens (60+): $6
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- 4-Pack Online: $30 for four tickets, valid for one admission each and one day only
At the door:
- Adults: $10
- Senior Citizens (60+): $8
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- Friday & Saturday: $4 after 4 p.m. at the door only
Special Offers:
- Active and retired military personnel, veterans, firefighters and police officers receive free admission all weekend, along with one guest, with valid ID at the box office.
- Attendees who show a CharmPass app, Light RailLink ticket or eligible transit pass at the box office receive free admission any day of the show. One admission is available per pass.
The Maryland State Fairgrounds is located at 2200 York Road in Lutherville-Timonium.
Related
Maryland
Maryland police arrest alleged bank robber wielding stolen cat: ‘Tried to use her as an accessory’
Law enforcement agencies are accustomed to dealing with cat burglars – but now a Maryland police department is saying it grappled with a cat-wielding bank robber.
The Prince George’s county police department said its officers arrested a man suspected of stealing a cat and then taking the animal with him to a PNC bank branch in the local community of Beltsville to rob the establishment on Monday morning.
“The cat was returned” after the suspect was arrested, the police department said in a statement to the Guardian on Tuesday. The agency said no injuries were reported, and it declined to name the suspect or release additional details, saying the case – bound for a spot in the annals of bizarre reported US crimes – remained under investigation.
Nonetheless, a social media post from rescue shelter Beltsville Community Cats provided more information.
A Beltsville Community Cats Facebook page post on Monday identified the cat at the center of the alleged botched caper as Magnolia, a three-and-a-half-month-old tuxedo kitten. The shelter recounted how the suspect first snatched Magnolia from her “adoption habitat” at Beltsville’s Pet Supplies Plus store, took her across the parking lot to a PNC branch, and “tried to use her as an accessory in [an] attempted robbery”.
“He asked the bank manager to hold the kitten while he wrote a note, then handed the note to a teller demanding all the cash,” the post continued. “Thankfully, the robbery was unsuccessful, the suspect was arrested, and Magnolia was found safe and sound in the bank manager’s office, where the two had bonded over their shared ordeal.”
Pet Supplies Plus store employees told the NBC affiliate in nearby Washington DC that Magnolia’s cat napper had come in daily for about two weeks and focused on the kitten each time.
Finally, on Monday, he managed to use a key to open a cat adoption area and whisked Magnolia away, store employees said to the outlet, WRC.
Store manager Aaron Kurkowski told WRC that Magnolia’s thief “came in and saw none of my team was nearby the front – and he just went right to her and ran right on out”.
According to WRC, Stephanie Stullich of Beltsville Community Cats then received a call from a pet store employee who alerted her to Magnolia’s plight.
That prompted Stullich to run over to the store, where she said to WRC that she “immediately saw all of these police cars and … thought, ‘Wow, that’s a heck of a response for a stolen cat’.”
“But then I realized they all were going down to the bank,” Stullich recalled to WRC. “They came back out a few minutes later and said, ‘Yes, there is a cat inside the bank.’”
Two days before her catnapping, Magnolia was the subject of a Beltsville Community Cats Facebook post inviting people to see her at Pet Supplies Plus and consider adopting her.
Magnolia as of Monday was still waiting to be adopted, Beltsville Community Cats said in its post detailing the bank robbery.
The non-profit organization offered members of the public the opportunity to apply to adopt Magnolia by emailing rescue@beltsvillecats.net.
Beltsville Community Cats’ post also joked that Magnolia’s “brief ‘life of crime’ is behind her” – except for undoubtedly “stealing” hearts, treats, toys and cuddles wherever her forever home may be.
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