Latest news with #USWind
CBS News
22-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Maryland disputes EPA's claim of errors in wind energy project permit
In a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency, Amy Van Blarcom-Lackey, regional administrator for the Maryland Department of the Environment, insisted that there were no issues with a permit for a Maryland wind energy project. The response comes after the EPA last week said it found errors with the MDE's decision to issue a permit to U.S. Wind, the Maryland-based developer of an offshore wind project. In a letter to the MDE last week, the EPA said the project permit isn't valid because the MDE incorrectly stated that appeals to the permit should be filed under Maryland's state process instead of the federal process required by EPA regulations. But Blarcom-Lackey disputed the claim. "I would like to clarify that Maryland has been issuing permits under EPA-delegated or EPA-approved authority under the Clean Air Act for decades," Blarcom-Lackey wrote. "Long-settled procedure dictates that state-issued permits are appealed under State law, not Federal law. MDE adhered to both State and Federal law and precedent when issuing this permit and designating state law as the appropriate venue for permit appeals." She added that Maryland met the requirements needed to demonstrate that it has adequate authority under federal regulations to implement and enforce the permit program, including the proper procedures for handling appeals. In the EPA's letter last week, the department said the MDE must clarify that the permit was issued under federal code and remove incorrect appeal instructions from the permit itself and from its website. Blarcom-Lackey says MDE won't be modifying its permit decision to include the EPA's requested language. She also said that the information regarding the appeals process on the MDE's website was originally included at the EPA's request — but has now been removed as requested. The Maryland-based energy company U.S. Wind received its construction permit for the major offshore wind project in December. The construction plan includes building 114 wind turbines off the coast of Ocean City, which would generate up to 2 gigawatts ("GW") of offshore wind power and power more than 718,000 homes in the region. It would also include up to four offshore export cables that run from the lease area to the shore, a meteorological tower, and offshore export cable corridors. The goal of the project is to help supply the increased demand in the energy industry, according to U.S. Wind. The project is the 10th commercial offshore wind project nationwide. In addition to the turbines, U.S. Wind also plans to establish a new production facility, Sparrows Point Steel, at the former site of Bethlehem Steel in Baltimore County.
Fox News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
GOP posts Coldplay meme to troll Delaware Dems' green energy scheme
Delaware Republicans borrowed the now-viral "Coldplay concert affair" meme to criticize the state's Democratic majority amid legislative momentum for offshore wind projects in the First State. The Delaware GOP's meme inserted "Delaware Democrats" for former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, who was caught with his HR executive Kristen Cabot; represented in the repurposed meme by wind power interests. The meme included an inset allegedly denoting donations from US Wind — through US Wind, the Baltimore-based iteration of an Italian wind energy firm — to campaigns of several top Democrats. Fox News Digital reached out for comment from the lawmakers mentioned, including Delaware Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, Delaware House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown, D-Delaware City, and Senate Leader David Sokola, D-Newark. Within the last few weeks, Delaware has taken steps toward developing wind energy offshore of its iconic beaches. Most Republicans in the legislature represent the two lower, beachfront counties of Kent and Sussex, while Democrats have a plurality in the more suburban New Castle County to the north, which includes former President Joe Biden's home city of Wilmington. Last month, the State Senate approved a resolution to overturn Sussex's local decision to reject a wind energy permit application for US Wind, according to WHYY. The county had originally balked at a plan to repurpose a coal-fired power plant in Dagsboro as a wind substation. The project seeks to connect the plant — west of Bethany Beach — to a proposed wind power installation off a State Seashore fishing area north of the popular beach town, according to the report. Sussex State Sen. Bryan Pettyjohn told WHYY the move constituted outside people telling the county, "you don't know what you're doing, and we know better than you." That resolution was put forward by Democratic state Sen. Stephanie Hansen, in New Castle County. In December, US Wind announced that Dover had approved three permit applications to connect offshore wind power to the electrical grid in Delaware. CEO Jeff Grybowski said in a statement at the time that it was an "important step forward" and that stakeholders sought feedback from the public. "We are thrilled to have secured these final approvals to move forward on delivering massive amounts of clean energy to the region," Grybowski said. "Offshore wind will help lower electricity bills for the people of Delaware, satisfy the region's critical need for more electricity, and improve air quality across the state, all while supporting good local jobs." Fox News Digital reached out to the US Wind for comment on its inclusion in the meme. In its waning days, the Biden administration approved a major offshore wind project called "Maryland Offshore Wind Project COP" that would sit off both states' coastlines. Delaware Republicans have seen additional support for their overall opposition, including several residents who spoke at a 2022 symposium in Fenwick Island — just across the line from Ocean City, Maryland. Regional car dealer Geoff Pohanka was recorded as saying each state must evaluate which energy sources meet demands and that such sources must be reliable. "Wind energy is not reliable since wind speed does not usually match with energy demand. Costs are also a factor, in that wind power costs 400%+ more than other sources of power, including wind power on land and solar energy," Pohanka said, according to the town of Fenwick Island's records. "The State of Delaware has not opposed the actions taken by Maryland to permit as many as 200 wind turbines off the Delaware coastline." Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan, an Independent, previously criticized offshore wind plans in the area, warning of tourism repercussions and that the Atlantic sunrise would "look like a backdrop from 'Star Wars'."
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's EPA flags a problem with offshore wind permit issued by Maryland
A test wind turbine for Dominion's Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. (Photo by Charlie Paullin/Virginia Mercury) Federal officials are calling on the state to reissue a permit for a wind farm planned off the Ocean City coast, to correct what they say is an error in the original document. In a July 7 letter to the Maryland Department of the Environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took issue with the process that MDE laid out to appeal the final construction permit awarded to US Wind. The state said any challenge to the state permit would have to go through state courts, but EPA Region 3 Administrator Amy Van Blarcom-Lackey said that any appeal would have to be filed with the clerk of the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board. '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,' Blarcom-Lackey wrote. MDE spokesperson Jay Apperson said in a statement that the agency is reviewing Blarcom-Lackey's letter and is 'committed to ensuring all our permit processes are transparent and in accordance with the law.' An official with US Wind said the company is 'confident that all of our project's permits were validly issued.' At issue is the permit issued last month by MDE's Air and Radiation Administration, which found that 'the proposed construction and commissioning of the offshore wind project would not cause violations of any applicable air pollution control regulations.' It's one of the final permits for the US Wind project, which has been in the works for about a decade, and is closest to construction of any offshore wind farm planned for Maryland's coast. Maryland gives go-ahead to permit allowing offshore wind farm to move forward The US Wind project received a critical approval from the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in December, at the tail end of President Joe Biden's administration. The federal government leased the area for the project to Baltimore-based US Wind in 2014. The feds have leased other areas near the coast of Ocean City and the nearby Delaware beaches to Danish company Ørsted and, most recently, to Norwegian company Equinor. US Wind's application called for up to 121 turbines, up to four offshore substations and one meteorological tower, all about 10 nautical miles from the Ocean City shoreline — a prospect that has enraged some locals and politicians in the beach town, who have pointed to the view from shore of the wind farm, and its impacts on wildlife. The Town of Ocean City has an ongoing lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior for issuing its approval for US Wind. Like all offshore wind projects, US Wind is facing an uncertain environment under President Donald Trump (R), a vocal critic of the industry. Shortly after he took office, Trump issued an executive order halting new offshore wind leasing in federal waters, and new project approvals from the federal government. In April, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum ordered one offshore wind project off the coast of New York to halt construction, citing deficiencies in the BOEM permit that had allowed construction to begin. But in May, the Trump administration reversed course and allowed the project to keep moving forward. Interestingly, MDE's webpage about the Ocean City project seems to contradict Blarcom-Lackey's letter about the appeals process. The page was updated to exclude mentions of an appeal process through the EPA, which had previously been included. 'The appeals process for this permit is through the State of Maryland only, and the language describing the U.S. EPA appeals process has been removed,' reads the webpage. Apperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the webpage. In a statement, US Wind's vice president of external affairs, Nancy Sopko, said that the company is confident the project's paperwork is proper and is 'very committed to delivering this important energy project to the region.' 'The state needs all the new sources of electricity we can build in order to keep prices affordable for homes and businesses,' Sopko wrote. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Maryland fires back against EPA claims about its offshore wind permit
An Ørsted wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island. The company also has a lease off the Delmarva coast, but is not nearly as far along in the permit-approval process as US Wind. (Photo courtesy of Ørsted) The Maryland Department of the Environment is defending the permit it issued to a wind farm proposed off the coast of Ocean City, after a challenge from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Thursday letter from Maryland Secretary of the Environment Serena McIlwain also said the state would not be reissuing the permit, as the EPA requested, because the state had not made a mistake that needed correcting. The EPA had contended that when Maryland issued the permit to Baltimore-based company US Wind, it identified the wrong process for citizens to file appeals. Amy Van Blarcom-Lackey, EPA administrator for Region 3, which includes Maryland and other mid-Atlantic states, contended in a July 7 letter that any appeals challenging the air pollution permit issued to US Wind should be filed to the clerk of the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board. But Maryland argues that its permit would need to be appealed through the state courts, which would involve filing a challenge at the appropriate circuit court — in this case in Worcester County. Notably, the due date for a state court challenge has already passed. It was set for July 14 — about a month after MDE issued the permit, according to MDE's website. 'Long-settled procedure dictates that state-issued permits are appealed under State law, not Federal law,' McIlwain's letter says. Trump's EPA flags a problem with offshore wind permit issued by Maryland That letter also cites written decisions issued by the EPA's appeals board, including one that stated that the board 'lacked jurisdiction' to evaluate this type of permit. 'MDE will not re-issue the permit and will continue to follow the proper state procedures to consider appeals,' McIlwain concluded, near the end of the roughly two-page letter. A request for comment from the EPA was not immediately returned Friday. The MDE website for the US Wind project originally referenced both the state appeals procedure and the EPA process, but McIlwain said that information had been 'included at EPA's request. It has been removed, and language has been added clarifying that the Federal appeals process does not apply.' Authority to issue Clean Air Act permits like the one for US Wind is delegated to the state from the EPA — the basis of the federal agency's claim for jurisdiction for appeals. That authority, specifically for permits on the outer continental shelf, was re-certified in early 2024 under the Biden administration. The US Wind project, which is planned about 10 miles from Ocean City's shoreline, is the wind project that is closest to construction in this region. The company, which leased the area in 2014, received a key permit from President Joe Biden's (D) Department of the Interior at the end of 2024. Final buildout of the project is still years away, but it calls for construction of 121 wind turbines, up to four offshore substations and one meteorological tower, according to the state's website. When complete, the project could generate 2,200 megawatts of energy, enough to power up to 718,000 homes, according to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Practically since its inception, the project has faced fierce opposition from local officials in the resort town, who cite concerns that beachgoers would lose a pristine ocean view if the turbines were visible from shore. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Since President Donald Trump (R) took office for his second term, offshore wind projects have landed in his crosshairs. Earlier this week, Trump announced that wind and solar projects would undergo increased scrutiny under his administration. Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' also rescinds tax credits for renewable energy projects that do not begin construction by next July. In April, Trump appointed Blarcom-Lackey to lead the EPA's Mid-Atlantic office. She succeeded Marylander Adam Ortiz, who moved to a deputy secretary role at MDE. Two other companies have offshore leases in the vicinity of Ocean City and the Delaware beaches — Ørsted and Equinor. While Ørsted received its first lease area around the same time as US Wind, Equinor won its auction last year. Neither project have received its federal permits from the Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
CBS News
15-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
EPA says it found errors with permit for Maryland wind energy project
In a letter, the Environmental Protection Agency said it identified errors in the Maryland Department of the Environment's decision to issue a permit to U.S. Wind, the Maryland-based developer of an offshore wind project. In December 2024, U.S. Wind received approval to construct up to 114 wind turbines off the coast of Ocean City, which would generate up to 2 gigawatts of offshore wind power and power more than 718,000 homes in the region. The project also includes up to four offshore export cables that run from the lease area to the shore, a meteorological tower, and offshore export cable corridors. U.S. Wind said the project would help supply the ever-growing demand in the energy industry. But now the EPA is saying that the project permit isn't valid because the MDE incorrectly stated that appeals to the permit should be filed under Maryland's state process instead of the federal process required by EPA regulations. To correct the issue, the EPA said MDE must clarify that the permit was issued under federal code 40 CFR Part 55 and remove the incorrect appeal instructions from the permit itself, and from its website, so that the correct federal appeals process under 40 CFR § 124.19 is clearly stated. Seventy percent of Marylanders who participated in a UMBC poll said they supported expanding the use of wind energy. Alternative energy has been a topic of conversation as Maryland grapples with rising gas and electric bills. Earlier this month, Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen and other city leaders rallied to end Baltimore Gas and Electric's rate hikes and pipeline program. The program authorized a series of rate increases between 2024 and 2026. In January, President Donald Trump issued an executive order placing a temporary halt on federal leases, permits, and loans for both offshore and onshore wind development projects until his administration conducts an environmental and economic review. The order also directed agencies to evaluate the "necessity of terminating or amending any existing wind energy leases, identifying any legal bases for such removal." Lawmakers on the Eastern Shore have shared concerns about U.S. Wind's project. In October 2024, Ocean City leaders, along with local businesses, filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), saying there would be negative impacts on the local environment, and tourism and fishing industries. Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan expressed concerns about the project's impact on the local watershed and the burden to taxpayers who might have to bear a wind tax. In a joint letter sent to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on July 9, Maryland Congressman Andy Harris, along with other leaders, said they believe offshore wind projects should be "subject to close scrutiny" due to their proximity to defense systems and critical infrastructure. They also expressed concerns about the projects interfering with the radar used in defense systems.
