Ocean City and offshore wind – Ocean City Today

Its a hot-button issue on Delmarva that could soon impact locals and tourists alike.

Before taking a side on this issue, its important to understand the basics of what offshore wind even is. The definition of offshore wind power is in its very nameits the use of wind farms constructed on the oceans continental shelf (and sometimes lakes and fords) to generate electricity from wind, which is stronger over seas than it is over land.

The topic has been coming up a lot recently, and thats because theres a strong possibility that two offshore wind farms will soon be constructed off the coast of OC.

In May, the Maryland Public Service Commission approved subsidies for the two farms that would be the largest in the country to date. These farms, managed by U.S. Wind and Skipjack Offshore Energy, would include 41+ U.S. Wind turbines located at least 17 miles from the shore and 15 Skipjack turbines at least 19.5 miles from the shore.

First, some of the benefits of offshore wind: environmentally, wind farms produce renewable energy (no fossil fuels!). That means reduced air pollution and reduced greenhouse gases, and the prevention of hundreds of thousands of carbon dioxide emissions entering the atmosphere.

There are also economic benefits: its estimated that these two wind farms would create 5,000 local jobs and about $74 million in state tax revenue. In a statement, Maryland Public Service Commissioner Michael T. Richard highlighted the farms potential to make positive impacts on the environment and the economy:

However, while many Ocean City locals and politicians have supported the proposals for offshore wind, there have been others who arent as thrilled about the project.

According to U.S. Wind project manager Paul Rich, when the project was initially discussed seven years ago between the developers, the federal government and the Town of Ocean City, the Town was most concerned with having the turbines at least 10 miles away from the shore. More recently, at the Towns request, U.S. Wind agreed to move their turbines as far back as we possibly can, 17 miles from the shore.

A few weeks ago, one of the projects biggest opposers, Congressman Andy Harris, got an amendment passed that could end up terminating the projects altogether. The amendment prohibits the use of federal fundingto conduct reviews of site assessments or construction and operation plans for turbines less than 24 miles from the shore.

This amendment was adopted mostly due to concerns regarding the turbines being a potential eyesore. Because a sizable portion of the Towns revenue comes from tourism, and its unknown whether a view of the turbines could impact the economic sectors of tourism and real estate, Harris and other officials are concerned that the turbines would result in losing such revenue.

And while they would bring in state revenue, its estimated that the projects would cost about $2 billion in total, and that the typical utility customer would see a 1.4% increase in their bill, an extra $1.40 per month on average.

In light of the recent amendment passed, the projects are currently on hold, likely unless or until the amendment is reversed.

Well, maybe. Right now, most offshore wind farms are located off the coasts of European countries, and there are only two in the United States (a floating wind turbine in Maine and a commercial farm in Rhode Island).

We know little about how these wind farms will impact tourism in the U.S., but there have been recent studies conducted that might give us an idea. For example, one study conducted by economists at North Carolina State University concluded that nearshore wind farms would have a negative effect on state tourismbut that mostly applies when the turbines are eight miles away from the shore or closer. In a working paper on the study, NCSUsCenter for Environmental and Resource Economic Policy director Laura Taylor said:

In one Danish beach town, resort owners are actually turning the nearby wind farm into a tourist attraction. Anne Marie Larsen, who owns a resort in Nysted, Denmark that offers offshore wind safaris, told Offshore Wind.biz:

Harbor master Sven Erik Hauberg echoed Larsens positive outlook on the wind farms.

Again, whether the wind farms would have a positive, negative or nonexistent impact on Ocean City tourism cant be totally known unless theyre built. Right now, we can only look at studies that have been conducted and the impact of wind farms on other countries, and make an educated guess. Here is a good place to start researching.

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Ocean City and offshore wind - Ocean City Today