Cape Wind

Governors of six East Coast states, including Maryland's Martin O'Malley, are teaming up to support Cape Wind, the controversial wind farm proposed for Nantucket Sound. The governors have asked U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to disregard a recommendation by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to reject the project. "If the ACHP's approach to historic preservation is adopted, it would establish a precedent that will make it difficult, if not impossible, to site offshore wind projects anywhere along the eastern seaboard," the governors wrote in a letter yesterday to Salazar.

Continuing the Obama administration's effort to launch a U.S. offshore wind energy industry, federal officials announced Wednesday that they will auction off the rights next month to build huge turbines off Maryland's coast. The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said it would take bids Aug. 19 to lease nearly 80,000 acres of Atlantic Ocean about 12 miles off Ocean City for up to two wind projects. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell called the move to lease turbine sites off Maryland "another milestone as we strengthen our nation's foothold in the new energy frontier.

The Obama administration's approval of the nation's first offshore wind farm near Cape Cod in Massachusetts buoys prospects for similar renewable-energy projects off Maryland's shore and elsewhere along the Atlantic coast, proponents say. But it may still be several years — if ever — before turbines are spinning wind into electricity off Ocean City, state officials note. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced in Boston Wednesday that he had approved the controversial Cape Wind project, which calls for placing 130 turbines in Nantucket Sound.

Federal officials announced plans Tuesday to auction the rights to build industrial wind turbines off Maryland's Atlantic coast - a move hailed by many environmentalists and some businesses as the first step toward a new green industry but criticized as a drain on household budgets by the state's lone Republican congressman. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell joined Gov. Martin O'Malley at Baltimore's harbor to declare that her department intends to offer leases for wind energy development on nearly 80,000 acres of the Outer Continental Shelf at least 10 nautical miles off Ocean City . "It's a big step forward," said Jewell of the Obama administration's goal of having 20,000 megawatts of renewable energy permitted by the end of the decade.

The forecast for the East Coast is windy with a chance of 6,000 megawatts — or enough electricity to power 1.9 million homes. That's what a $5 billion offshore transmission line proposal unveiled yesterday could make possible along the Atlantic Coast, and it's an exciting prospect for the nation's energy future. Atlantic Wind Connection, the planned 350-mile underwater line located 15 to 20 miles off the coast, would provide a connection for multiple offshore wind power projects including Delaware's proposed Bluewater Wind.

Obama administration officials announced Tuesday they are taking steps to speed development of wind energy projects along the Atlantic coast, and hope to be able to issue federal leases for putting huge power-generating turbines off Ocean City within the next year. Speaking at a news conference at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar unveiled a "Smart from the Start" initiative aimed at shortening the years-long federal approval process for offshore wind projects that now seem to be proceeding at a snail's pace.

Federal officials announced plans Tuesday to auction the rights to build industrial wind turbines off Maryland's Atlantic coast - a move hailed by many environmentalists and some businesses as the first step toward a new green industry but criticized as a drain on household budgets by the state's lone Republican congressman. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell joined Gov. Martin O'Malley at Baltimore's harbor to declare that her department intends to offer leases for wind energy development on nearly 80,000 acres of the Outer Continental Shelf at least 10 nautical miles off Ocean City . "It's a big step forward," said Jewell of the Obama administration's goal of having 20,000 megawatts of renewable energy permitted by the end of the decade.

In its most important respects, Gov. Martin O'Malley's new proposal to build a wind farm in the Atlantic Ocean isn't different from the old one. Developers must still pay hundreds of millions of dollars to build wind turbines off Maryland's coast. And Maryland electricity customers still have to pay for them. Everything else is detail. That's why the project, proposed Monday by the governor for the second year in a row, still faces very long odds. Fiddling with the financing mechanics, as O'Malley has suggested, may win the legislature's approval this time.

Continuing the Obama administration's effort to launch a U.S. offshore wind energy industry, federal officials announced Wednesday that they will auction off the rights next month to build huge turbines off Maryland's coast. The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said it would take bids Aug. 19 to lease nearly 80,000 acres of Atlantic Ocean about 12 miles off Ocean City for up to two wind projects. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell called the move to lease turbine sites off Maryland "another milestone as we strengthen our nation's foothold in the new energy frontier.

As a long-of-tooth energy engineer and consultant, I believe Jay Hancock 's offshore wind column is nearsighted ( "Stop O'Malley's offshore wind folly now, not later," March 27). Yes, natural gas currently is abundant and cheap, particularly compared to oil-based fuels, but it won't stay so. Natural gas is too flexible and easy to use, which translates into fuel switching for major users and new uses for compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) and so forth.

In its most important respects, Gov. Martin O'Malley's new proposal to build a wind farm in the Atlantic Ocean isn't different from the old one. Developers must still pay hundreds of millions of dollars to build wind turbines off Maryland's coast. And Maryland electricity customers still have to pay for them. Everything else is detail. That's why the project, proposed Monday by the governor for the second year in a row, still faces very long odds. Fiddling with the financing mechanics, as O'Malley has suggested, may win the legislature's approval this time.

Obama administration officials announced Tuesday they are taking steps to speed development of wind energy projects along the Atlantic coast, and hope to be able to issue federal leases for putting huge power-generating turbines off Ocean City within the next year. Speaking at a news conference at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar unveiled a "Smart from the Start" initiative aimed at shortening the years-long federal approval process for offshore wind projects that now seem to be proceeding at a snail's pace.

The forecast for the East Coast is windy with a chance of 6,000 megawatts — or enough electricity to power 1.9 million homes. That's what a $5 billion offshore transmission line proposal unveiled yesterday could make possible along the Atlantic Coast, and it's an exciting prospect for the nation's energy future. Atlantic Wind Connection, the planned 350-mile underwater line located 15 to 20 miles off the coast, would provide a connection for multiple offshore wind power projects including Delaware's proposed Bluewater Wind.

The Obama administration's approval of the nation's first offshore wind farm near Cape Cod in Massachusetts buoys prospects for similar renewable-energy projects off Maryland's shore and elsewhere along the Atlantic coast, proponents say. But it may still be several years — if ever — before turbines are spinning wind into electricity off Ocean City, state officials note. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced in Boston Wednesday that he had approved the controversial Cape Wind project, which calls for placing 130 turbines in Nantucket Sound.

Governors of six East Coast states, including Maryland's Martin O'Malley, are teaming up to support Cape Wind, the controversial wind farm proposed for Nantucket Sound. The governors have asked U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to disregard a recommendation by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to reject the project. "If the ACHP's approach to historic preservation is adopted, it would establish a precedent that will make it difficult, if not impossible, to site offshore wind projects anywhere along the eastern seaboard," the governors wrote in a letter yesterday to Salazar.

The General Assembly is wavering between approving Gov. Martin O'Malley's marquee proposal to install wind-driven electricity generators off Maryland's coast and putting the idea off for further study. But what lawmakers ought to do is vote it down and be done with it. Offshore wind is too risky. It's too expensive even as advertised and will probably cost more than that. Although they won't make for flashy talking points if O'Malley runs for president, there are far better and cheaper ways to meet Maryland's energy and environmental goals.